The Other Saga Part Two: Reawakening
by soulful-sin
Summary: The Other has a new plan on how to defeat Timmy and his godparents and this time, Timmy's in on it. Can Cosmo and Wanda bring Timmy to his senses before he makes a horrible mistake?
1. Return to Reality

Author's Note: This won't make sense if you haven't read the first. Go read it.

**The Other Saga Part Two: Reawakening**

Chapter One: Return to Reality

For days, The Other wandered around in a daze, names and places seemingly drifting into his mind from nowhere. He couldn't articulate who he was, how he came to be, or why the names "Cosmo and Wanda", and "Tootie" filled him with such fury. Nor could he explain why things levitated when he slept or even something simple like where he was.

This was all to change very soon.

* * *

Tootie slept poorly. Filled with visions of people she knew yet were so different, her dreams were random assortments of images with one single string that bound them together. A key and The Other.

* * *

Timmy Turner, on the other hand, slept rather well despite the frequent interruptions of a terrified Tootie running to his bed. Finally, he had to coax Cosmo and Wanda out of slumber to magically lock the door. Too sleepy to care any more, he slipped back asleep, remembering nothing of her dreams. Perhaps he should have paid a bit more attention.

* * *

Vicky couldn't sleep. Tossing and turning, she flopped about on her hard mattress until she gave up. Resting her eyes on the ceiling, she relived The Other's brutal rape over and over again. Another sleepless night, another night with his face in her dreams.

* * *

Cal detested working in the nighttime. Not only did it distance him from his godchild, he missed the slumber. Still, somehow, money was needed to pay for their mortgages and such since counterfeiting was illegal (and one couldn't wish away mortgages, it was against Da Rules). They could magic it down to a buck a year but they required that revenue.

As a human in his janitorial suit, Cal leaned against the wooden mop, his long brown hair drooping over his eyes. If only he could sleep…

* * *

Safe in their tree house, Cosmo and Wanda slept in each others' arms, nestled together in that cozy little knit known only for lovers. At last, they could sleep soundly and securely without fear of Timmy awakening them in the night (only once tonight!). Also, this privacy led to some other pleasant developments since a kid within a foot of their bed severely dampened any romantic mood.

This might have been all nice and dandy were it not for the fact Wanda was haunted by nightmares, visions of other tactics The Other might have taken. Unlike Vicky, she hadn't been violated, but his sneering face was there all the same. Images of Timmy shot in the head and Cosmo brutally beaten, whipped through her mind like a snake.

Pressing her face into Cosmo's bare chest, she prayed to whoever might be listening for an end to this uncertainty. Whatever storm might be brewing, it was preferable to know it instead of fearing it ignorantly. Even with Cosmo's arms wrapped firmly about her waist, she was not consoled. Some men were strong, hers was not.

Memories of his past bravery only served to remind her of the imbalance of their intellect. If indeed The Other plotted revenge, she and Cosmo would be one of the top on his list, if not _the _top. And, if something were to happen to her; Cosmo, her godchild, and Tootie would be in dire straits indeed. She shuddered to think of a plan to overtake The Other if constructed by Cosmo.

It was going to be a long night…

* * *

Morning dawned bright and early for all animals and humans. Dogs barked, begging to frolic in the sun. Cats clawed at the doors and mewed their desires much to the disgust of their disgruntled owners. A single rooster on Timmy Turner's chimney crowed softly and promptly fell asleep again.

Timmy Turner held an arm up over his head, trying in vain to obscure the sun's rays. Squinting, he waited for the red spots to vanish and for his vision to be restored. Somebody had left his curtains open. In an instant, he recalled who.

"Tootie!" Timmy muttered. The night's events flooded back, including an extremely paranoid Tootie who was fearful The Other would rush into the tree house and murder Cosmo and Wanda while they slept. Not to say that her theories were unsubstantiated, they were just a little absurd for three in the morning. Or maybe his brain just refused to function, and _anything _sounded absurd for three in the morning.

Pink and green faerie dust precluded Cosmo and Wanda's arrival, informing Timmy that his fairy godparents had _not _been assassinated in their sleep. They were perfectly fine, ignoring the bags under Wanda's eyes. True, it would have been bizarre if he awoke and found them absent. Still, even if they were missing, it didn't mean they were dead, just perhaps sleeping in for once. He refused to let Tootie's paranoia infect him.

"Hey, Timmy!" Cosmo called with a huge grin.

"You're in a good mood," Timmy said, grinning as well. Grins were infectious and, in this house, short lived.

Wanda did not share in their sentiment. On the contrary, her mouth was pulled in a tight frown. Arms folded, she stared at them. Timmy felt sweat trickle down his neck. The last time Wanda looked at him like that, he'd done something horribly wrong. The trouble was, he couldn't for the life of him remember what.

"What's the matter, sugarplum?" He floated upside down. "Why's your smile upside down?"

Wanda sighed, sounding every year of her age, well over 10,000 years. "I didn't get any sleep."

From outside, Tootie banged on his door. "Neither did I! Timmy, why's the door locked?"

Weighing his options carefully, Timmy thought this through (and suppressed a groan). On one hand, he didn't want to deal with her this early before he could fully process her actions. On the other hand, Tootie was nothing if not persistent. Had he had a third hand, he would have also added the telepathy feature, combining to make Tootie harder to evade than ever.

((Timmy! How could you lock me out? What did I ever do to you?)) her mental voice whined and he cringed. It was like scraping the inside of his brain. He thought of Cosmo, who would have replied, "You have a brain?" He was too fatigued to be amused, and her mental shrieks were rubbing him the wrong way.

((You have your own room,)) he said, surly. ((Why don't you use it, for once?))

"Maybe you ought to let her in," Wanda said delicately.

"Yeah, she can't possibly strangle you with affection at seven a.m.!" Cosmo added and Wanda gave him a dirty look.

((I saved your life! Let me in!))

((Or what? You'll force your way...)) His thought trailed off. A loud crash shook the room and all three jumped. It sounded like something large and heavy had slammed into Timmy's door. Another loud crash ensued, followed by the door crashing into the wall. Tootie beamed from ear to ear, holding a large tree limb with brown eyes. Cal blinked at them.

Once the door no longer provided a problem, Carl vanished into thin air.

"Hi, Timmy!" Sauntering over to his bed, she plopped down next to him. "Thanks for locking me out!"

Avoiding her eyes, Timmy glanced over at Cosmo and Wanda instead. "Er, why are you up this early?"

"I had some bad dreams," Tootie murmured and cast her gaze at the bed sheets, plain pink (Timmy's parents had selected it for him and he didn't have the heart to discard them). She liked them, they were quirky like him. Too bad he didn't show that side of his nature any more.

Unexpectedly, she burrowed her head into Timmy's chest. "Involving you."

Blushing like a tomato, Timmy looked down at her. "Why are you doing that?"

((Timmy, I really need to talk to you.))

An electric shock ran through him and he jumped. God, he hadn't felt like this since The Other had first taken over his body. Pounding like a jack hammer, his heart beat triple its normal rate. The Other…

Glancing up at him with concern, Tootie sighed. Bags under her eyes as well, she had not a bit of her normal humor or happiness visible. In fact, she appeared to have aged fifty years in one night.

Swallowing hard, she hugged Timmy tightly and drew a deep breath. "I don't know how to tell you this…"

"Tell me what?"

Unbeknown to Tootie, Cosmo and Wanda had exchanged looks. Wanda, shaking her head at Cosmo, put a finger to her lips. Timmy stared at them out of the corner of his eyes, and sensed a conversational undercurrent, but Wanda didn't share and Timmy didn't ask. He hadn't realized just how many little conversations they had he wasn't privy to.

Before vanishing with their traditional poofs, Wanda informed Timmy of their decision, " Breakfast will be on the table." She spared a sidelong glance at Tootie, who was on the edge of hyperventilation.

"I saw your parents in my dreams."

"They're alive?" Timmy inquired hopefully.

"No," Tootie bit her lip so hard she brought forth blood. Timmy stared at her. He had thought his teeth were sharp.

"Timmy, I'm so sorry…" She truly was. Ever since his parent's funeral, all carefully avoided the subject of his parents. It didn't come up much but any passing comment about them would either be met by indifference or Timmy frantically bursting out the room.

"Then why tell me?" Timmy snapped as Tootie's eyes filled with tears. It took him back for a few seconds, to remind him Tootie was overly sensitive and not to berate her. Sometimes, girls were a pain. Wanda didn't cry nearly as often as Tootie. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time Wanda had cried.

"Nothing can bring them back. That isn't the point," she stated.

"I'm kinda hungry," Timmy said and tried to stand but Tootie shoved him back down again. He glared, growing irritated. How dare she push him around like that. Who did she think she was? He barely tolerated his godparents doing it, and they knew far better than him. Tootie was a year younger than him, for God's sake.

"Your parents were ghosts, but they weren't their own people, if that makes any sense. They were playing both sides," she sighed, exasperated. "I don't know how to make it clearer than that."

"My parents would never hurt me!" _Especially not now. If they did return, I'm sure they'd be so happy to see me again they wouldn't leave my side much less put me in harm's way._

Tootie snorted derisively. "What about when your father tried to protect you from Francis and threw you into his car hood? Or how about when your parents discovered Vicky 'playing dungeon' and you could have been killed and they were more upset about their _tape?_"

"I get it. Don't worry," Timmy muttered. "I'll watch out." Irritation rose again. Not only was she telling him what to do, she was telling him to avoid his parents and the second chance they offered. Who the hell did she think she was? Having a second chance at his parents was a thin hope bubble he hadn't dared to entertain until just now. 

Frustrated, he pried her off of him and left the room. His door hung off its hinge and he sneered at it, stomping down the stairs. Cosmo and Wanda hadn't finished breakfast yet, which meant, for some unfathomable reason, they were making it the human way. He hoped Wanda didn't burn it. From everything Cosmo told her, she was horrible at human cooking.

Were his parents around as ghosts? Why hadn't they sought him out yet? Were Cosmo and Wanda in the way? Jorgen had told him Cosmo and Wanda were his acting legal guardians, but that wouldn't have anything to do with it, would it? Cosmo and Wanda shouldn't have to hide from ghosts.

That was assuming, of course, that Tootie's dream meant anything. He didn't have any hint it did. But, considering what had happened in the last few months, stranger things had taken place.

* * *

The Other grinned maliciously at his newly redecorated room. In terms of size, it was rather large for a single occupant. Pressed against the farthest wall was a large black four poster, with its curtains drawn accordingly. A few feet away from it, pressed up against the wall, was a large desk containing a state of the art desktop computer he had pilfered, a printer, pictures of Cosmo, Wanda, Tootie, and Timmy with corresponding 'x's over the faces, and a notebook. Inside the desk, he had all the office supplies he could snatch, and small tools of the trade. The desk ended a foot before the door, which marked the beginning of the left side of the room. He also had a number of books on shelves above the desk. The books contained old faerie magick, along with some anti faerie magick he had discovered in the last couple nights. He had heard rumors of an Anti Fairy World being built and a grin spread across his face. He couldn't wait.

Behind him, he had painted the dock windows black. He had a small heater, should he need it, another set of bookshelves, currently empty, and a dresser. Like the bookshelves, the dresser remained mostly empty. Overhead, he had a chandelier with sparkling black diamonds dangling from it. Three out of the four bulbs were lit. He'd have preferred candles, but electricity was more constant. It was facile to send power to the building, too, without alerting anyone. No one noticed someone siphoning off power if its sources were scattered.

Open in his lap was an old, brown, musty magic book (the edges of the pages were peeling) for raising the dead. He had retrieved it from the library which had a surprising amount of black magic literature. Since his mansion was actually compiled of an assortment of other houses, it probably had derived from a necromancer. He had no idea where all his room had come from, and, at the moment, he didn't care. There didn't seem to be an appalling amount of goodness pervading, so he wouldn't worry.

The house seemed undetectable to Fairy World, or perhaps they were ignoring him. He didn't care. Whatever the case, faeries were ignoring him and he was free to run this realm.

Coalescing into their insubstantial form, Mr. and Mrs. Turner floated in front of him. Remarkably, they didn't recognize him as the fast food attendant who had added enough propane to their gas tank, along with combustibles, to send them to an early grave. At the moment, they wore vacant expressions, but this was no measure of intellect. For all he knew, they had always looked this dense.

Never mind the witticisms. He had work to do.

"Hello, Mrs. and Mr. Turner," Lorenzo said, inclining his head. "It's good to see you again."

"Again?" Mr. Turner inquired. "Where did we go?"

"All I remember is darkness, followed by a bright light, and then we were here," Mrs. Turner said, staring at her husband. "I can see right through you."

"Hey, I can see through you too," Mr. Turner said. "Cool! I float now!"

"I'm glad you're amused," Lorenzo drawled. "Now, we have business to attend to."

"Ooh, does it involve walking through walls? I've always wanted to do that!" Mr. Turner exclaimed.

"It involves Timmy," The Other said and rolled his eyes.

"Ooh, Timmy! How is he?" Mrs. Turner asked. "It feels like forever since we've seen him."

"Oh, he's fine," The Other said and grinned from ear to ear. "You'll be seeing him very soon."


	2. Hello, Again

Disclaimer: Just so you know, I really don't own FOP. Yeah…

Chapter Two: Hello, Again!

Timmy Turner glared at his bowl of Crash Nebula cereal and ignored everyone else. Around him, Cosmo ate his enormous roll of Swiss cheese (partly melted to his liking) and Wanda munched, thoughtfully, on a piece of toast. Tootie nudged him, trying to coax him into a conversation and Cal had yet to surface from _his _bowl of Scrappies. The only thing missing was Vicky, who never voyaged to the first level if she could help it.

Cosmo was too happy with his cheese to comment. Between the two of them, they sensed telepathy passing through between Timmy and Tootie, with Tootie as the sender. Any foreign telepathic pair would register as distant thought, and one would have to exert an effort to push it beyond into a received thought. That way, anyone outside the pair would be excluded, just in case. Telepathy was also a defense mechanism, a genetic development allowing true loves to continue and pass on their genes to the next group. If they could warn each other of danger, no matter how far away the partner might be, it would save them.

That reminded her of something she'd much rather forget, her inability to have children. Thinking about it turned her stomach, and she deposited the toast on the plate. Better to think about other things, and so, she focused her attention on Timmy.

Timmy continued to glare at his cereal box and wasn't speaking to anyone in the room. She knew the transition and grieving would be tough, but she didn't like the way he reacted to things. One moment, he'd be fine and the next a lit fuse. She had a sneaky suspicion The Other was orchestrating this but she couldn't prove it. After all, they knew so little about The Other, considering he was the first human anti faerie in centuries, perhaps millenia.

She glanced and Cosmo and sniffed. As long as he had cheese, he was happy. The world could fall apart around him, but as long as he could have his cheese and eat it too, he wouldn't notice. This was, in all aspects, a rather disturbing thought.

"Dammit!" Vicky screeched from the basement and all looked at the door leading there, startled. Timmy ceased staring at Crash Nebula belligerently and Tootie stopped kicking him to get his attention. Wanda hesitated in mid air and stared at the door. She began to drift near it and then stopped. Cosmo, however, continued to eat. Cheese was cheese, regardless of crazy women.

Loud banging noises commenced, accompanied by angry, battle-like cries. It sounded like she waged a war and lost miserably. Whatever it was, it was probably best to let her work it out by herself, lest one of them be struck in the aftermath. Besides, Wanda shuddered, The Other's mistreatment hadn't improved Vicky's temper any.

From where she floated, she couldn't tell what was going on, but it sounded like a lot of silverware, pots, and pans were being flung in every direction. The cacophony was deafening and the humans had winced. Cosmo didn't seem affected. Wanda suppressed a groan, that was, until he rattled a couple of spoons together to the beat. She scowled, swiped them from him and placed them back in the drawer.

As suddenly as it had started, the noises stopped and all heaved a sigh of relief. Whatever it was, it was over now.

"Get down here!" Vicky howled.

"Oh, great, another wake up call," Cosmo groaned. Wanda groaned too.

"Do you want to go or should I?"

"But...Wanda..." Cosmo protested. "I have cheese! Cheese!"

"That'd be a no," she said and moaned.

"Good luck," Tootie muttered.

"Thanks," Wanda shot back. "I hope I won't need it."

* * *

"Dammit!" Throwing yet another pot onto the pile, Vicky was essentially having a temper tantrum of sorts. It seemed during the night she found traces of The Other and was now going about rendering them nonexistent, much to Wanda's chagrin, who kept dodging them in mid-air. Also, just how many pots and pans did the girl have? A small mountain had built up next to the sink.

"I'll kill him!"

_Not if he doesn't kill you first. _Aloud, Wanda wondered, "How did he get in the house?"

"That isn't my problem! You're the ones who are supposed to protect _me_!"

_What, so Timmy and Tootie are dead now? _She sighed. "This won't help."

"Like I give a shit!" Vicky chucked another item, this time a skillet, in Wanda's direction. She dodged it narrowly (it came within five inches of striking her), and floated in front of Vicky.

"Look," Wanda said, nearly at the end of her tether, "stop throwing stuff and listen to me!"

Vicky held up a kettle and was about to add it to her rapidly growing collection when she discovered she couldn't. Her arm was paralyzed, a pink aura surrounding it.

"Better."

Wanda put her wand down and continued. "We (Cosmo and I, but mostly me) will work on a spell preventing The Other from entering the house. However, this won't stop him from going into the basement, since he's already been there. It's better than nothing all, so don't complain."

"What do you mean, he can come back into the basement? What the hell are you good for me?" Vicky shrieked.

"We can't block him from somewhere he's already been," Wanda said. "And this is the best we've got so far."

"Useless faeries," Vicky scoffed.

"We're the only reason The Other hasn't run off with you and made you his concubine," Wanda retorted. If Vicky could sink to new lows, so could she. "The least you can do is be grateful. Now clean up this mess."

"No."

"You fix it, you were the one who made it. I'm Timmy's fairy godmother, not yours."

Vicky growled and glared at the metal clutter. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at it, hoping Wanda would get the hint and do something. She thought wrongly.

Wanda ignored her and scanned the area. A note stuck to the cupboard, now completely empty thanks to Vicky's temper tantrum, bore Lorenzo's handwriting and his magic signature. She flicked it at Vicky and Vicky glared hatefully at her.

"There's your evidence," she snapped. "Clean up the mess, child."

* * *

The Other grinned and battled around a red hair. Drifting along the air currents outside (it was a nice, breezy summer day in Boston), the hair floated here and there, not particular about where it roamed, much like him. As long as it got to where it wanted to, it was happy.

"Some people," he drawled, "would have to pay for transcontinental transport. Then again, some people would consider this fair warning."

Fetching an orange lighter from his brown dress pant pocket, he set the hair aflame and observed the burn. The noxious smell didn't bother him one bit, it was the satisfaction of knowing his plan was to be set in motion that sweetened the stench. Nothing could stop him, not when Timmy's own security was so very lax as to allow him to spend nearly an hour with Vicky and escape unscathed. Fools.

Curling, the hair twisted and turned in the flame. Regarding it with satisfaction, he tossed it up the nearest tree where a family of squirrels made their home, and saw them smolder (he lobbed the lighter as well for good measure) and die.

"Burn, baby, burn. The time is nigh. This'll be the day that you die."

* * *

Timmy felt a trickling sensation down the base of his spine. As the sun set around him, he sensed there was something wrong in Dimmsdale as his meals gurgled unpleasantly in the pit of his stomach. By the prickling of his thumbs, something wicked this way comes.

Tootie was asleep, trying in vain to reclaim last night's lost slumber. Her chest moved up and down gently; Timmy noticed it had a slightly rhythmic sensation to it, almost as though she were conducting a music video. She was secure and safe, her hero right before her. True, often he didn't act the part, but she infinitely preferred the illusion.

Tucking a stray hair behind her ear, he sank back into the couch and waited for all hell to break loose. He didn't have to wait long.

* * *

Lorenzo had learned, leafing through the book, a way to send Mr. and Mrs. Turner around town without his presence. He could not spy on Cosmo and Wanda without their noticing, nor could he enter their club house without Timmy being alerted. Plus, he didn't have a concrete way to kill them yet, and he preferred to act according to design rather than spontaneity. As it was, he thought this would work best until he had a rough draft plotted out.

Raising his hands, he produced blue crackling magical balls and flung them at Mr. and Mrs. Turner. They had fallen asleep as ghosts in mid air (why they required sleep, he'd never know), and they whisked away to their next target.

((Timmy Turner. Timmy Turner)).

Smacking his palms together, he smirked and placed the book away. Now, it was time to see what pleasures awaited him in the Fairy World armory. They weren't paying attention to him anyway, so why not 'be all he could be'?


	3. Watching While You Sleep

Disclaimer: At the risk of being sued, I'd like to say I don't own FOP before the Feds come knocking.

Chapter Three: Watching You While You Sleep

From the tingling in his hands, Timmy sensed The Other's malevolence; never before, except perhaps the night before his birthday, had it been so overwhelming. Red hot anger surged through his body and rendered coherent thought impossible. His teeth gritted and his fists balled. Every cell in his body screamed for vengeance and vicious images raced through his consciousness. Tearing Cosmo and Wanda apart with his bare hands commenced the sequence, followed by ripping Wanda's throat out, stabbing his faeries with their wands, and cruelly stabbing them within every inch of their bodies. His limbs moved like molten lava, and the room blurred before him.

He experienced a reality disconnect and the mind linked to his kept running him roughshod over every violent image it possessed. Nothing would stand in its way, no matter how powerful they seemed to be. He'd slice Wanda's throat and mount her head on his door. He'd...

Timmy awoke on his bedroom door with his girlfriend overhanging him. Tootie's brow was furrowed and her lips pursed. In her hands was a pail and he felt cool water drip down his forehead, then along his neck and into his shirt. Water droplets clung to his eyelashes .

She knelt at his side and gently wiped his forehead, slick with sweat. After what he'd endured, this didn't feel real. Tootie's loving administration couldn't possibly be legitimate. It had to be fabricated- he groaned, cramp seizing his stomach. She cradled him in her arms.

"You blacked out. Cosmo and Wanda said there was a break in at the Fairy World armory and Jorgen recalled all the faeries to Fairy World. She sent me in the meanwhile."

Timmy gazed past her. Racing through his veins was a magical surge, this sense of connection with every type of supernatural being. On Yugopotamia, Mark Chang ate toxic waste; on Earth, some child's fairies granted him a doozy, Cosmo and Wanda were returning, preparing to enact a spell, and The Other was about to break a long respected practice. He was about to raise the dead.

((Little slow on the uptake, aren't you? Already have.)) He chortled into Timmy's mind. ((Really, Timmy, how many chapters ago did that happen?))

((What?)) Timmy choked and Tootie jumped, the moist towel flying out of her hands and landing on the carpet. Recalling The Other's vicious onslaught, he trembled again. How many of those images had corresponded with actual murders he had committed?

"What is it?" ((What's going on?))

((I'll thank that bitch to start in whenever the hell she feels like it,)) The Other sneered.

((The Other!)) The two responded in unison, Tootie's arm wrapped securely about Timmy's shoulders. Timmy's teeth chattered.

((Please. 'The Other' sounds so archaic, not to mention pedantic. I have studied human history and decided to assume the name "Lorenzo DeMedici", since he was a great benefactor in Italian society. I consider myself an equally great benefactor...once my plans are in motion.))

Tootie squeezed Timmy tighter, in an effort to stave off The Other's telepathy, but nothing happened. They could feel him, just as powerful, waiting wherever he was. It seemed like it might be close, but not too close. Perhaps on the other side of town.

((That technique won't work anymore, obscuring my senses, but good try. I commend you on your stupidity. Oh, and just in case you're wondering, I've expanded the network. If I talk to Timmy, the little slut can just speak whenever the hell she feels like it. It doesn't work vice versa, so don't try it.)0

((I'm not a-))

((I don't give a shit who you think you are. I was having nice conversation until _you_ interrupted. Begone!))

Tootie screamed as violent tremors of pain rocked her body. Over and over, like a harpoon. It was so intense, she collapsed. Timmy sensed its echoes running through him and it drained the color from his face. He could feel everything that happened to her along his body as well. Prolonged torture would be enough to drive him mad.

((Now that she's out of the way…))

((What did you do to her?)) Timmy glanced, disconcerted. His stomach churned and he tasted bile.

((That's not important. Come now, let's chat.))

((Get out of my head!))

((Don't be so rash!))

Timmy gasped; it was as if The Other was strangling him slowly, relishing his pain. Spots materialized before his eyes and hands flew up to his throat. But there was nothing there.

Abruptly, it let up and Timmy sputtered. How did he do that? Had he gained control over his respiratory system? What was going on?

((Never you mind. It's none of your damn business.))

Timmy stood and scooped Tootie up. Situating them on the bed, he observed Tootie's irregular breathing (far too labored for his liking). Blood on her scalp; he wondered how it could have been there if The Other hadn't physically laid a hand on her. Then again, how had he strangled him without touching him?

((I hope you've missed me as much I've missed you. I'm sorry I failed to call or write, but it was a bit hard when I had AMNESIA! I WONDER HOW THAT HAPPENED. ANY IDEAS?))

Cringing, Timmy now empathized with Wanda. Lord, he felt like he'd been clubbed over the head one too many times. Make it stop...It was worse than Tootie shrieking in his head this morning. It felt like someone had taken a loudspeaker and dropped it right next to his ear.

((HAVE FUN WHILE I WAS AWAY? LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE?))

Eyes tearing, Timmy bent over double, hands clutching his temples. Already in agony over the shouting, every fresh word sent hot, fresh spasms through his mind.

Through the bond, he felt The Other form a sinister smile. Of course he enjoyed this havoc. From simple possession to mental anguish, he savored it.

((So…)) The Other mocked.

Swimming with tears, Timmy could see perhaps the blurry outline of his hand. He had a bizarre feelings this was how The Other desired things.

((You'll be visited by two ghosts tonight. I'm afraid the ghost of yet to come is far too busy planning his schedule to attend to your foolish little whims, but I'm certain the remaining two will be sufficient. In fact, you might even recognize them, assuming you have such capacity.))

((Who? What did you do?)) Timmy cried in distress.

((Timmy, Timmy. All good answers come in time. Just be patient. I'll see you in a few weeks.)) His mind became his own again and he could breathe easier. It felt much roomier in there, too, though it stung from The Other's yelling. Weakness overtook him- the mental attacks and stress had its toll.

Slumping against Tootie, Timmy's eyelids grew heavy and he fell asleep, his head on her shoulders. Before he completely succumbed, he could have sworn there were pink and green splashes around his room. Cosmo and Wanda. He smiled.

* * *

Wanda wiped her brow with her right hand tightly clenched about her wand and surveyed the house. A light, shimmery green foil encompassed it, unseen by the naked eye but clearly visible to a magical being. Extending from the front door up, it enclosed nearly the entire house. The basement, as Wanda had warned Vicky, was excluded. On short notice, however, she thought it would do nicely. It ought to repel any unfamiliar magical traces and alert them to their presence on the grounds.

"We did it," Wanda sighed and drifted onto a nearby tree branch. This late at night, no one would see faeries sitting on a tree. There wasn't a street lamp nearby, anyway, and she felt free to slump over.

"Did what?" Cosmo landed beside her and looked perplexed. She stroked his hair and he leaned against her. This entreated her to wrap her arms around him and peck him on the cheeks, then the lips. Cosmo nuzzled her and she nuzzled him back. He might be an idiot, but he was _her _idiot and she adored him. One of his hands snaked around and stroked her wing. Pleasurable shudders wracked her body.

"At least The Other won't be able to get in normally."

"Huh?" Cosmo observed a nearby bee. "Cindy?"

She rolled her eyes. Leave it to Cosmo to space out- the faerie had a serious case of ADD. Sometimes she marveled at how he actually graduated the fairy academy; it must have had something to do with that three headed dragon and the property damage it caused. The fairy academy heads had probably been too scared not to pass him, and be stuck with him for however long it took for something to stick.

"Cindy died, sweetie."

"Oh, yeah. I never got my records back!"

Smirking, she massaged his left wing and he trailed kisses down her neck. She turned her head, lifted his, and met him for another kiss on the lips. He returned it eagerly and opened his mouth for her. Nothing unusual today excluding the note in Vicky's cupboard- what a relief. Maybe The Other was losing his touch.

Suddenly a cold, putrid wind kicked up and both shivered. Whatever its source, it was powerful enough to cause several trash cans to dance and force them into heavier forms as not to be blown away. Peculiar for a gust to start up when there had been none, particularly one carrying a magical residue. Previously content in Cosmo's arms, she shivered.

((Cosmo?))

"Feels like the dead are being raised, huh?" Cosmo said. Wanda looked at him strangely.

((What do you mean?))

"Let's go play the 'not-study game', summer edition!" Cosmo declared.

Wanda remained while he popped into Timmy's room to wake him. Her gaze traveled along the street and she stared at the errant trash cans. She shivered again.

* * *

Buoyed by the wind, Mr. and Mrs. Turner had a difficult time maneuvering their way home; they constantly passed through cars, trees, and the occasional (albeit spooked) family. Their memories were also a bit foggy and they became lost easily. Between these and other impediments, it was eleven o'clock before they arrived, having gone the long way around, quite literally. The wind liked to toss them around.

"Hey, look, it's another wind gust! Let's chase it!" Mr. Turner said.

"You remember what happened the last time we did that," Mrs. Turner chastised. "We'll never get to Timmy at this rate."

"Aw, but honey, think of how much it was!"

Mrs. Turner glared at him, giving him a look that said 'not really'.

* * *

_The Other strode towards her, radiating evil. His arm shot out and trapped her where she stood. Not again. No. Tremors wracked her body.  
_

_ "Shall we take it where we left it?" he whispered scornfully._

Get away from me. _Vicky tried to find her voice, but her throat had swollen shut. _Leave me alone!

_"Miss me, sweetie?" He stroked her cheek and Vicky trembled. "'Cuz I'm back again."_

_ "And it's time to play."_

_ Suddenly, he recoiled from her. Stunned, she gaped at him. "You stink of fairies!"_

_Finally, her voice returned, albeit in squeaking form. She hadn't ceased trembling. "No, it's-"_

_ "You reek of them! What did Cosmo and Wanda promise you? Did they promise to protect you?" he smirked. "Offer you the stars if you'd do everything they asked?"_

_ "No!"_

_ "Liar. I can smell them on you." _

_He pinned her against the wall. "How can I tell you speak the truth?"_

_ "I do!"_

_ "Is there any way to prove that?" He'd won._

No.

_"Just as I thought, you're a fucking liar. And you know what happens to liars?"_

_ Vicky shook with fear and slowly nodded. Anything to make him stop. If she could shut him up for just one minute, maybe the dream would stop and she'd be fine._

_ "You know what I hate? Pieces of shit who agree with everything I say!"_

She awoke with a start. There was a pair of blue eyes peering down, the coldest blue eyes, glittering so maliciously. Her breath caught in her chest and she swallowed back a scream.

"Good night, Vicky, or should I say, good morning. Your clock says three a.m., I should know, I kept my eye on it while I paid you a nice little visit. Didn't you miss me?" He hung over her bed like a scene out of a horror movie and her heart beat a tattoo in her chest. Her dream viciously returned to her and, for a second, she wondered how you could smell of faeries.

"The Other!" she spat.

"Please, please. 'The Other is name given by _fairies_ who should be dead but aren't. I wonder how that happened?"

Vicky opened her mouth to scream, but, The Other placed a knife to her throat. "Tisk, tisk. Haven't we learned anything?"

"It's Lorenzo DeMidici, or just Lorenzo, my love." Pressing the hilt a little deeper, he grinned at her. Blood pooled on the knife. Vicky tried to control her breathing, but this was difficult given the circumstances. Lights spun in her eyes and shut them desperately; he remained.

"No matter where you go, I'll be one step ahead of you. No matter what, I'll always carry part of you with me."

"But Timmy-"

"I'm not here to see the twerp. I seem to remember you hating him. What happened? Did _they_ change your mind?" he spat. Vicky whimpered and Lorenzo stroked her hair. She whimpered louder.

"I'll see him later. Cosmo and Wanda are wrong. They can't stop me. I could kill them in their sleep if they weren't useful."

This was disturbing. Cosmo and Wanda were the bulk of their defense and they were useless? But...how? Weren't they supposed to wield an unthinkable amount of power? How much did The Other have? Another whimper caught in her throat.

"I must visit Miss Waxelplax and ensure my employment. Last time I heard, she had a thing for Crocker. I'll take it from there."

Removing his knife from her throat, he smirked at her and kissed her roughly where the knife had left its imprint. "I thank you again for your company and _I wish_ you sweet dreams. I know I'll have them."

Vanishing with a crack, the slight weight disappeared. Clutching her pillow to her chest, she sobbed.

* * *

Lorenzo crept along the hedges and occasionally pricked his hands and legs on the thorns. Since he'd overlooked the importance of a flashlight and his mind was otherwise occupied recalling blueprints and layouts, he stumbled into every obstacle preceding the back door (key placed under the mat). He'd get his revenge, rest assured. As soon as he could feel his legs.

Retrieving her key at long last, he slipped it into the lock and slid inside the darkened kitchen. Pitch black and not a sound was heard. This he would work well with. Unfortunately, he had to be in the immediate vicinity to work on people's dreams.

Within a few minutes, he swiftly paced to the bedroom where she was absent. Still, all he had to do was follow the blinking lights on the walls to the living room where an old spinster lay asleep, drooling slightly, Nick at Night on. The moment was precious. Better take advantage of it as soon as possible...

* * *

_For a principal, Waxelplax certainly had bizarre dreams. A gigantic, five layered sandwich adorned with all sorts of cheese and meat: Swiss, cheddar, muenster, American, those balls, ham, bacon, steak, bologna, salami, and, to top it off, an olive. Drums beat in the background as red, filtered light fluttered down. He wanted this to be over before he gagged._

All right. Let's see what I can do with this…

_ Gorgeous, long brown hair dangling over one creamy brown eye, tumbling onto a body to rival Zeus, the sexiest in the universe (and a package to match), this was the man who approached her dream self. Hey, if he were to throw himself in, he might as well be aesthetically pleasing._

_ "You know who makes great sandwiches?" His voice was a rich, thick baritone, low and sent shivers down her spine. _I'm going to throw up when I get home.

_"Who?" Great, now she worshiped him. As soon as his point was made, he was out of here. He wasn't certain, but he thought he preferred Vicky._

_ "Me. You know who else I can please?" _ Myself, I'm getting the hell out of here.

_"No." Her voice was tiny and awe filled._

_ "The school. If you hire me, I promise delicious eating every day for the poor, starving kids in the cafeteria. I'll even work below minimum wage."_

_ Dream Miss Waxelplax was perplexed. "Wait, who are you?"_

_ "Just sign something right now, when you wake, stating you agree to hire Lorenzo DeMedici. Go ahead."_

_ "Okay…_

As soon as she did, The Other teleported with a snap (forgetting he would have done so in the first place) and promptly returned to Timmy's house. He needed to torture someone before the saccharine overwhelmed him (he was exceedingly grateful he didn't require food as a source of energy).

He discovered the shimmering magical shield and flicked his fingers. In an instant, it went down. He thought he felt Cosmo and Wanda jerk in their sleep and sneered. The shield couldn't repel him once he was inside the house and didn't use the door like a normal person. Leave it to Cosmo and Wanda to forget that. They truly were two halves of a whole idiot.

Bypassing the basement, he mounted the stairs onto the first floor, and, from there, ascended to the second. It was just as he suspected- Tootie was absent and Timmy untroubled. Cosmo and Wanda were not within earshot, which was good since he lacked the power to take them on. Their shield was nothing. It had been hastily constructed. In terms of true power, Lorenzo had much to learn before he could easily bat Cosmo and Wanda aside, despite what he said to the contrary.

He settled down on the bed and ruffled Timmy's hair. Yes, he could certainly kill him in a second but where was the fun in that? Besides, he lacked sufficient reserves to do so without getting captured by Timmy's fairies. It certainly wouldn't do if he were murdered before his plan was complete.

Drawing out a blade, Lorenzo followed the bone structure of Timmy's face, making shallow indents, nothing too deep lest he wake him. All he required was a small imprint, one small mark on their precious one's face, and then they'd realize the futility of their stand. When he was stronger, he would leave a more lasting impression.

Watching the blood trickle down, The Other kissed his cheek and licked it off. Timmy whimpered in his sleep and Lorenzo kissed him on the lips. Energy escaped Timmy and entered Lorenzo. He smiled.

"Hello, my favorite. We're going to have some fun this school year. Yes, we are."

Unseen, Mr. and Mrs. Turner glared from behind the empty fishbowl.


	4. Hg Rising

Chapter Four: Hg Rising

Timmy awoke with a start. He had the most peculiar dream: someone carved his face while he slept. The same someone caressed his hair and licked his cheek. To compound it, the dream had also involved a magical shield disappearing and then reappearing without a word. He blinked, running his fingers over where the knife had gone.

There were odder things. For example, the ghosts of Mr. and Mrs. Turner currently floated above his bed, grinning at him. Excitement filled him. It had been years since his parents had been present for his waking. Normally, it was Cosmo and Wanda who greeted him, but they weren't around. That, come to think of it, was also strange.

"Timmy!" Mrs. Turner beamed at her son. Timmy glanced out his window and scowled. Cosmo and Wanda were watching. They were also staying out of his parents' line of sight, just in case. Old habits died hard.

For one who claimed to only want the best, Wanda certainly wore an ugly look. It was as though she disliked his parents, but that couldn't be the case. Who could hate his parents when they were right here, waiting for him? He was too happy to consider anything amiss.

The tree house curtains moved and Tootie stared out at him with Cosmo and Wanda floating on either side. Cal was, as usual, absent.

((Timmy,)) she sent. Her eyes narrowed.

((Why are you all spying on me?)) Timmy snapped.

"Mom! Dad!" he jumped up and tried to embrace them, but they passed through, making him shiver. He could see right through them. "Mom? Dad?"

"Sweetie, we _did _die."

"I don't remember dying!" Mr. Turner protested, fighting a losing battle. Timmy shuddered, thinking of The Other.

((We've been talking, and...)) Wanda's voice was substantially weaker than Tootie's. Timmy ignored her completely and sensed her irritation.

"I thought I'd never see you again!" He settled for holding his arms out and encompassing the space they occupied. He beamed.

Tootie interjected again, ((That's what we want to talk to you about! Don't you find it strange your parents mysteriously became ghosts right after the dream I had? Right after The Other suddenly became involved again in your life?))

((No.)) Timmy replied, obstinate.

((And just what The Other said would happen, did?)) she pressed.

"What the matter?" Mrs. Turner's face fell.

"Yeah, we thought you'd be ecstatic to see us!"

"I am, but…"

((Timmy!)) This mind voice was weak but easily identifiable. Apparently, Tootie was no good so they'd switched to Wanda.

((What are _you_ doing in my head?))

((Sport, I know it's nice to see your parents again, but-))

((Stay out of this!))

((Timmy, please, listen to me. If you won't listen to Tootie, listen to me. Timmy, _please_.))

((No.))

Mr. and Mrs. Turner exchanged glances, perplexed. However, the moment passed and they jumped right back on the bandwagon. Whatever was going on, it wasn't their concern. Timmy saw Wanda scowl at him through the window.

"Now we can spend time with you!" Mrs. Turner gushed, enthralled.

"Yeah, and play baseball!" Mr. Turner attempted, unsuccessfully, to pick up on lying about. "Or not!"

"And," Timmy added, jumping up, out of bed, "there's no Vicky!"

((Will you listen to us? We know what we're talking about!)) Tootie, Cosmo, and Wanda snapped. Cal appeared, floating near Tootie's head, but seemed unable to project. Timmy didn't know or care why.

((We do?)) Cosmo inquired, confused yet again.

((Butterfly!)) Cosmo cried as one passed by the tree house. ((I'm going to call you Betty!))

((Focus!)) Wanda snapped.

((Timmy, we think The Other-)) Tootie started.

((SHUT UP!)) He roared. ((LEAVE ME ALONE!))

((Just look in the mirror if you don't believe me!)) Tootie cried frantically. The telepathic trio looked like they had newly found headaches.

"Are you okay? Do you want some breakfast?" Mrs. Turner inquired worriedly.

"Ooh! Breakfast!" Mr. Turner bounced about in the air.

"Yeah, breakfast would be good," Timmy said, pulling down his window shade, "that'd be great."

* * *

Tootie unleashed a howl of pure frustration. True, Timmy could be a bit thick at times, but couldn't he see what was staring him in the face? Her dream, the prediction, his face, they all fit. God!

Wanda restored the blinds and scowled at the now empty room. They'd returned to Timmy's room, fat load of good it had done them. Tootie was seething.

"What're we gonna do?" Cosmo watched his wife's face anxiously.

"We're going to have to convince him, somehow…"

* * *

Breakfast was a bust. Despite the skillet and broken eggs lying haphazardly on the floor (Mrs. Turner tried in vain to create some vague resemblance of a meal), all three were balled over in laughter. It was relief and an alleviation of grief (and guilt on Timmy's part). More than that, it was affirmation. Sure, his parents weren't completely alive, but they weren't dead either.

The merriment ended abruptly with Tootie's arrival. Shooting darts with her eyes, she practically leaped from the landing to the living room and from there to the table. Pink and green cats accompanied her in addition to a brown scrunchie. She meant business.

"Timmy!" Beside him, she grabbed his arm and began to tug him away. "We need to talk."

((NOW.)) Her mental voice clawed at his mind's walls and he winced. He apologized profusely to his parents and unwillingly followed her into the living room. Cosmo and Wanda promptly sound-proofed the room and prevented any one from observing (a silk, scarlet curtain with yellow lace sprung in the doorway). Even if it probably didn't matter whether or not Mrs. and Mr. Turner knew about them, again, old habits died hard.

"What?" Timmy shrugged off Tootie's arm. "What do you want?"

"We tried to talk to you earlier, but you refused to listen," Wanda retorted.

"You were too busy with your parents," Tootie agreed sympathetically.

"It's not like they return from the dead every day!" Timmy shot back, instantly on the defensive.

"Timmy, don't you find it weird that the thing you wish for the most, but cannot be granted, is exactly predicted by The Other, and it occurs the next day?" Wanda said, arms folded about her chest.

"We're just worried about you," Cosmo supplemented.

"Look," Timmy snapped, "my parents-"

He made a motion to leave but Tootie slammed him into the couch. Placing her hands firmly on his shoulders, she leaned forward, pressing her weight down. Despite her small frame, Timmy failed to fend her off since he wasn't particularly strong either.

((Listen.)) her mental voice was frigid and unwilling to budge an inch. She reminded him of her sister and, feeling cornered, he reluctantly stopped fighting them.

"Thanks," Cosmo said, a trifle coldly. Timmy blinked and Wanda glanced at her husband before speaking.

"Look, even if The Other isn't behind this, you need to be on guard, all right, sport?" Wanda forced a smile and ruffled her godson's hair.

"Can I leave now?" Timmy said sulkily.

"Fine," Tootie spat, surprised at the venom. Timmy did a double take too, gawking at her. She lifted her hands off his shoulders, spun on her heels, and stomped up the stairs, shaking.

Cosmo and Wanda gave him an indiscernible look, and, then, they too vanished to parts unknown. Without them, Timmy's hostility vanished and he, grinning like the Cheshire Cat, nearly floated back to his parents.

* * *

Suffice to say, the rest of the summer was only enjoyable for one person in the house, Timmy Turner. Tensions rose between he and all living in the house (his parents were oblivious, as usual).

After a while, Cosmo and Wanda ceased to leave their tree house at all, since nearly every confrontation exploded into violent arguments. In the last one, Timmy, through a Freudian slip, cursed Wanda out. Hurt and angry (but mildly amused after Cosmo tried to tell Timmy off unsuccessfully), Wanda stated until Timmy regained his sanity, he would hear nothing from them.

Tootie and Timmy had a falling out, ultimately leading to her declaration: "You got yourself into this mess! You fix it! I don't care!". She collapsed into tears and stated vehemently to refrain from speaking to him (this was after Timmy and his godparents had had _their _falling out). She too avoided the downstairs.

Timmy, on the other hand, spent the remnant of his summer making up for lost time. He played charades (finally deducing what his father indicating after a record of two hours), discovered just how many lies his parents told him, but, mostly, they talked. Never had he felt so close to his parents (at the same time, he drove a wedge between he and all those who cared for him), and never had he been so content. Alas, all good things come to an end.

* * *

The last day of summer vacation and Timmy had yet to do his homework. Every day, he familiarized himself anew with his parents, growing closer and closer (sending his godparents further and further away).

Conversely, Tootie, in an effort to eliminate any type of interaction between her and her love, spent all of her time reading and answering the question packets. Consequentially, after a quick wish (school supplies), she was prepared for tomorrow. All packed and ready to go…

"Darn it! Where are my books? Where is my homework? I haven't done any of it yet and it's due tomorrow!" Timmy tore up his room, sending video games, a computer, and a Crimson Chin doll sailing through his father. His father stared at the book, but had thankfully grown used to it.

"Ten points!" he declared. Timmy would have smiled if he weren't so worried about his homework.

A pink book materialized in his hands, the face atop regarding him wistfully. Bags beneath her eyes, she hadn't had a decent night's sleep since the argument. Tears appeared and she blinked furiously.

He wasn't surprised to see her. Cosmo and Wanda were persistent, showing up everywhere from inside his games to the bathroom, right when he least expected them. They usually vanished at the first sign of his parents, but that didn't prevent them from slipping in a warning. No matter how many times Timmy angrily brushed them off, they still showed up. Whatever the case, it was grating on his nerves.

"Timmy, we need to talk," Wanda said.

"Get out!" he muttered and flung her into the wall. If Cosmo hadn't transformed into a plushy green bean bag chair at the last split second, she and the wall would have had a nasty meeting. As it was, she tumbled headfirst into the seat and landed facedown.

"Aha!" Timmy slipped on a book strangely resembling Da Rules (it too flew towards Cosmo) and produced a thick packets of sheets, many were extremely mangled, from beneath his bed. A quick perusal told him one thing- three two hundred page books were due the next day in addition to forty questions for each book. For the love of God, he'd never finish this, even without distractions. It was times like these that made him wish he'd never quarreled with his fairy godparents in the first place- they might be able to fix it so he could complete it before the century ended, but, minus them, the changes were two: slim and none.

Maybe if they apologized...

Timmy, snatching Wanda from the Cosmo cushion, darted from the room and into the hall, praying for privacy but not wishing for it. At the moment, she gave him a reproachful look, so wishful thinking was all it would remain.

"Can you make it so I read all of these-" He indicated the "mountain" of books in his room, "-super fast?"

"That wasn't in wish form," Wanda retorted. Timmy bristled. She was being irritating on purpose. They didn't necessarily have to have things in wish form.

"_Fine. I wish_ I could read everything super fast."

"Extremely rapidly," Wanda corrected but granted it. Her eyes blazed and she clenched her hands. Timmy ignored her. "Anything _else_?" Her question was pointed.

Timmy shook his head.

"Nothing about how you might still want to keep your guard up? Nothing about how we might be right? Nothing about how you've treated us all summer? Nothing?" Wanda yelled, her temper reaching fever pitch.

"You're not right! My parents want to spend time with me and you're just trying to keep me from seeing them!"

Under her breath, Wanda muttered a few choice words in fairy language (they'd existed for hundred of thousands of years- English couldn't have been the only language they spoke) and swallowed hard.

"So that makes it all right to keep treating us like this? Because we're 'trying to keep you from seeing them?'"

"Butt out, Wanda!"

"You're our godchild and our responsibility!" Wanda retorted. "And I'm telling you again you're in terrible danger!"

"And I'm telling you again to BUTT OUT!" Timmy skidded into his room and slammed the door. Anger made him tremble and he hated Wanda fiercely at that moment. Wanda and Cosmo were just trying to hurt him and take his parents away from him. He hated them...wanted to make them shut up by any means necessarily...

Inhaling shakily, he willed himself to calm down. He thought he could understand how The Other could loathe them. They were such interfering pains in the butt.

All he wanted were his parents. Why couldn't they see that? What dire warnings? What the hell were they talking about?


	5. School Daze

Chapter Five: School Daze

"Good morning, Dimmsdale! It is Monday, September 9th; the temperature is seventy degrees; the sky is a beautiful, cloudless blue; and the motherfuckers are just waking up. In other news, we bring you to the blood riddled corpses of fairy godparents Cosmo and Wanda!" The Other grinned maliciously, using a rolled up black ledger as a mock mike.

He smirked at the magical replications shimmering beside his bed and tossed the ledger through their hearts. "Ooh! Three points!"

* * *

Seven a.m. and Tootie had only an hour of actual sleep. She stretched, winced at the crick in her neck, and yawned, covering her mouth. Visions of her nightmares danced before her eyes and she longed to speak to Timmy, except she refused. Timmy had been such a rank jerk lately she didn't think he deserved the privilege. Nonetheless, the dreams had seemed ominous and she felt vulnerable, longing for a familiar face.

Palms sweaty, she slid back the sheets and pulled on the outfit Cal laid out for the night before. He wasn't there, presumably, he was sleeping. She didn't need to disturb him if it were avoidable. That didn't prevent her from wanting to call him and receive comfort. She didn't begrudge Cosmo and Wanda not working, but she wished she had a godparent who wasn't taking the night shift just to pay the bills The Other had left.

Damn it, she felt so alone.

Grasping her purple backpack, Tootie slid out of her room and crept past Timmy's door, careful not to wake him. She blinked back tears and, biting her lip, pressed her fingers to his doorknob. What was he doing now? Were his parents there, cementing the divide between himself and everyone else who loved him? Had Cosmo and Wanda tried to contact him again and he'd refused them?

"Timmy..."

* * *

Timmy was wide awake. He couldn't have slept, even if he tried. All night, his parents regaled him with tales of their youth and their first days at middle school, including dropping a cup of chocolate pudding down an eight grader's blouse to jump rope in the middle of class. Thanks to them, he eagerly anticipated school. What could be better?

Unfortunately, this meant he had zero energy and was about to tackle two of greatest foes, fairy obsessed Crocker and the far more threatening Lorenzo. The enthusiasm dimmed in light of lethargy. Still, this didn't bother him in the slightest- he was too tired to think straight. Instead, he excused himself and abdicated to the bathroom.

He opened the door, removed his trousers, and was just about to begin when...

"Guys!" Timmy screamed. Cosmo and Wanda had appeared, in their normal forms, floating before him. Blood rushed to Timmy's cheeks, as well as Wanda's.

"This wasn't _my_ idea, was it, Cosmo?" Out of respect, she kept her eyes on Timmy's face. Timmy fidgeted, uncomfortable. Wanda was a _girl_. Girls shouldn't be, well, looking at boys like that.

"Hey, Timmy!" Cosmo said with a grin. Timmy suppressed a groan. Cosmo had a knack for totally disregarding the seriousness of the moment and it was ill appreciated.

Face scarlet, Timmy scooped up his pants and put the seat down so he could perch atop it. "What are you doing here?"

Giving Cosmo a dirty look, Wanda swooped down to be eye-level with her godchild. "I think you know."

Timmy sighed. "Not again."

"Yes, again. Again and again until it sinks in. Timmy, there's a reason your parents came back and it wasn't for you to fraternize with them. _Think_, for once. Why are they here? What could The Other be planning?" Wanda said. Her eyes shimmered and faerie dust settled on the bathroom floor. Concern and sympathy radiated from him, but Timmy would have no part of it. She was trying to keep him from his parents.

"It has nothing to do with my parents," Timmy said flatly.

"I doubt that," Wanda said. She ran her fingers through his hair and he jerked away. She looked away, pained he'd rejected him. Cosmo floated closer and glared at Timmy.

"I know. Just because you're my faerie godparents doesn't mean you know anything," he snapped.

Sighing, Wanda said, "We're trying to watch out for you. _Please _listen to us. We know what we're talking about. We've dealt with anti faeries a lot longer than you have."

"I don't need your help," he said coldly. "Stop checking up on me."

"Timmy, look, I know how happy you are with your parents, but they're dead. They're ghosts, and eventually, ghosts pass on. You need to let go."

"And you need to get your nose out of my business," he said. "Do I need to put it in wish form?"

Wanda glared. "Message received, sport."

Through his weak link to her, he received such contempt that it almost gave him pause. Wanda really didn't think he was doing the right thing, but so what. He knew what was best for him. They were just his godparents. They weren't even his real parents.

* * *

"Welcome to your first day of middle school, students. In an effort to expand our diverse body, we've included sixth grade as the lowest for the first time in years. We hope you find your education to be satisfactory and we enjoy having you. Yay!

"In other news, there are loads of new faculty and help this year. For a change, one such person would like to speak. Lorenzo DeMidici, would you please come forward?" Miss Waxelplax stepped aside on the stage and he emerged from the shadows.

Timmy, who had been slumping in his chair in the far back, started. A.J., Chester, Sanjay, and Elmer were a couple rows ahead. He'd deliberately cut them off so he didn't have to sit with them.

His breath caught in his throat and for one split second, time had stopped. All there was and all there ever would be were Timmy and The Other locked in an eternal face-off. Nothing else mattered nor ever would. In that instant, he wished he hadn't spurned his godparents.

Wearing a hair net, a light blue coverall and thoroughly disgusted with his appearance, Lorenzo stepped up to the microphone. His eyes rooted to Timmy and his presence was all Timmy could focus on.

"Hello, students. I thought it would nice if you knew the man behind the counter, so to speak. Don't start looking at your watches, this short little discourse is getting you out of class, is it not? I promise not to be as boring as some of you surmise your teachers to be.

"What would school be without lunch? What would the students be without a hearty, good for the stomach and soul meal? Where would you turn to for hot, steamy soup? Who would satisfy your cravings?

"I submit to you, my esteemed colleagues, a preposition. If you promise to educate our pride and joy, I promise to feed them until they burst."

((Hopefully, quite literally.))

"Oh and I'd like to say hats aren't permitted in school, Timmy Turner. New school, new rules. Get cracking!"

The bell rang and the students shuffled off. Timmy lingered, staring at The Other, who hadn't vacated the stage yet. Cosmo and Wanda's admonishments rang in his ears and he wanted to question The Other. Cocking his eyebrows, The Other inclined his head, smirked, and walked off the stage. The moment had passed and he had no answers.

Grabbing his bag, he left the now empty row and started toward the exit. Tootie caught him, snagging his wrist, and he glared at her.

"He's here," she hissed at him. "I told you."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see The Other, lingering on the stairs, watching them. Timmy noticed a long, protruding object in his pocket, and, upon Timmy's gaze, The Other smirked and offered him a mock salute. Tootie jerked him back to her, taking his eyes off his anti faerie.

"So?" Timmy hissed back, oblivious. "It doesn't prove anything."

"You know it does," she snapped.

Both turned when they spotted Chester, A.J., Sanjay, Elmer, Miss Waxelplax, and Lorenzo walking towards them. Timmy tensed, allowing her to hold his wrist, and unconsciously drew closer to Tootie. This was the first time in months they were in the same room, let alone a few feet away. To compound this, he also hadn't spoken to his friends since before The Other's awakening. (On an unrelated note, why was he thinking of The Other as "Lorenzo"? He wasn't a person.)

Tootie released his wrist and stepped back. A brown scrunchie had appeared in her hair and trembled at The Other's proximity. Timmy snorted. Cal.

"Timmy, don't you think you ought to be getting to class?" Miss Waxelplax inquired dreamily.

"We've come to walk you to class," Chester said. "That way, you can't get away from us."

((How are your parents? Still dead? There's a way to remedy that,)) Lorenzo smirked.

_Cosmo and Wanda..._He refused to call them aloud, but he began to wish they were here too. A.J., Chester, Sanjay, and Elmer seemed oblivious to The Other's impact on Timmy, or how Tootie and Timmy had both tensed.

((What do you know?))

((A little of this, a little of that,)) he sneered at him. ((Come see me during lunch and we'll discuss the whole matter. Cosmo and Wanda are excluded, of course.))

((How do I know I can trust you?)) Timmy said and narrowed his eyes. His friends were trying to catch his attention, but their voices were a din in his ears. The principal ushered them aside and opened her mouth to tell The Other to let Timmy go, except her eyes glassed over. Tootie grabbed Timmy's sleeve and Miss Waxelplax yanked her away. Tootie's fingers clenched on thin air as she tried, without success, to fight her back. The warning bell rang. Five minutes until class and Tootie was a slave to school.

((Timmy, come _on_.)) Tootie pleaded. Timmy ignored her.

((You don't,)) The Other said. ((But this isn't about me. Or you, for that matter. It's about your parents. Will you be there?))

((Why don't you want Cosmo and Wanda there?)) Timmy said, narrowing his eyes. He didn't care about class.

((Timmy!)) Tootie sent from the auditorium exit. Miss Waxelplax pushed her through and she cast one last desperate look at him.

((They'll only get in the way. Isn't that how it is, Timmy? They've interceded far too often. They're trying to keep you from your parents. They don't want what's best for you. They want what's best for themselves.))

Timmy's stomach churned. His thoughts were repeated back at him, and from the wrong source. The Other smiled at him.

((I don't know...)) he said.

((You don't have to know. Take a chance. I'll see you at lunch.))

* * *

Lunch couldn't come fast enough. Chester, A.J., Sanjay, and Elmer kept trying to corner him. They encircled him like vultures and he kept lying, trying to do anything to get them off his back. To compound matters, Tootie was reduced to stalking him in between classes. With his friends on one side and Tootie on the other, he felt like a dying animal with the carrion eaters waiting for him to give up.

Cosmo and Wanda appeared on the walls on his way to the cafeteria. Infuriated, he punched the space in between them and they vanished, exchanging disturbed looks.

Fetching a tray, he was pleasantly surprised to discover the food was actually edible this term. Amazing. Of course, he wound up being one of the last few people served, but this made it better for Lorenzo, who motioned him towards a back hallway after Timmy paid. Tootie arrived at that instant, his friends standing behind her. Fury soared. All she needed was Cosmo and Wanda to form the angry mob.

((Where are you going? Don't you dare leave with him! I'll get Cosmo and Wanda!))

((Of course you will,)) he snarled. ((You're ganging up on me. What's a faerie or two more?))

((Damn it, Timmy, we're doing this for your own good!)) Tootie shrieked in his mind. Tears slid down her cheeks and he wanted to punch her, hit her, anything to shut her up. The Other nudged him mentally and he looked over to him. He inclined his head and he blocked Tootie out.

((Come,)) Lorenzo said and vacated the lunch room. Timmy followed, leaving the cafeteria too. They walked a short way down the hallway.

"A janitor's closet?"

"What the hell were you expecting, the Ritz? Get in!" Lorenzo shoved Timmy inside the cramped space amidst the mops and buckets. A mop fell on his head and, annoyed, Timmy slammed it into the wall. It refused to budge and draped over his face.

"What do you want?" The mop's threads kept covering his mouth and he saw The Other with lines through his vision.

"You'd do anything to get your parents back, wouldn't you?" he smiled and ignored the shelves behind him, which were right up against his back. A can of paint was precariously balanced a couple feet above his head.

"Duh," Timmy said. "Of course I would."

"Why wouldn't you- you love your parents. They are the single most important thing in your life, aren't they?" The Other caressed Timmy's cheek and Timmy recoiled, jumping into the wall.

"Dude, what the hell?" he said, easing over to the door. Lorenzo flung out his arms and blocked his exit. Timmy glared at him.

The Other kissed Timmy's temples, little blue mists arising and slipping inside his body. His hand slid down from Timmy's shoulder to his chest and perched on his left breast. Timmy's irritation dissipated and panic replaced it. He struggled and the more he did, the more blue mists lifted off his body. He felt weaker, reminded again how little he'd slept in the last few days. He was too tired to fight him.

"Stop it!" Timmy whimpered and grabbed a mop to hit The Other. It slipped from his fingers and The Other captured his lips in a kiss. He heard waves crashing in his ears and he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand. His knees buckled and The Other compensated, wrapping an arm around his waist to steady him.

Both The Other and Timmy breathed in short gasps, The Other growing excited by Timmy's fight, and Timmy having problems breathing properly. Distantly, he could feel The Other's excitement and it penetrated the dullness pervaded by The Other's actions. He opened his eyes and moaned, trying to run but there was nowhere to go.

The Other's hand slipped down his pants and squeezed his butt. It slid around the front and descended down the waistband of his underwear. Timmy jerked.

"Cosmo! Wanda!" Timmy screamed. They didn't arrive instantly and he trembled, petrified. "Cosmo! Wanda!"

They weren't coming. They were too upset with him for how he'd treated them. His godparents had forsaken him and it was his fault. Anxious and terrified, he watched The Other lower his pants outside of himself. Then he perceived them, silent green and pink flashes.

"Get your hands off my godson!" Wanda screamed, shoving a huge glowing wand in The Other's face. Cosmo appeared at her side and flew to Timmy. The Other shut his eyes, concentrated, and Wanda raised her wand to blast him through the wall. Poisonous vines appeared, choking the life out of Timmy. Wanda hesitated; the vines glowed black and purple, and Cosmo, who had been right beside Timmy, jerked back as if stung. The color drained from his face.

"Like them?" The Other said. "I didn't know I could conjure them, but you learn something new every day."

"Release him. _Now_," she growled.

"What's the matter? Can't your magic counter mine?" he grinned. Wanda glared at him and brought herself right up against Timmy. She jerked back, paling too, and both faeries trembled. Timmy could distantly feel alarm rising off them.

"Release him," she repeated.

"I could kill you, but you're too useful," he said. His eyes sparkled with malice. "Though right now, you're being a pain in the ass."

Wanda braved whatever afflicted her and blasted a hole in the vines. They grew back and she repeated the experiment, only wrapping the vines tighter around Timmy. The Other raised his hand and wrapped it around her throat. Wanda struggled, slashing his face with her wand. Cosmo snarled, transforming into a cat (there wasn't enough room to change into anything large) and bit The Other's leg.

The Other growled, slamming Cosmo into the wall, and released his grip on Wanda. Wanda panted, regaining the ability to breathe, and her gaze was unfocused. It focused again and she concentrated, finger on her chin. Darkness emanated from her and she willed the vines to release him. Timmy gawked. She wasn't using her wand. Instead, it seemed to be purely through an elemental force. The vines relaxed enough for him to breathe and then collapsed on the floor.

Cosmo, meanwhile, clawed his way up The Other's body and The Other grabbed a mop. Wanda jerked her head to her husband's trouble and headbutted The Other before he could slam a mop down on Cosmo's head.

"Guys?" Timmy called.

"Be with you in a moment," Wanda said. The Other's hands glowed, dragon claws overlaying his human ones, and he slashed at Cosmo and Wanda. They dodged and Wanda raised her wand again to wield magic. Cosmo produced strings to tie the anti faerie up, and The Other retaliated by jumping up and grabbing the paint can. Wanda ducked and it crashed into Cosmo's head. Wanda fell out of mid air in shock. Cosmo collapsed, unconscious, next to Timmy on the floor. Blood oozed from his forehead.

"You..." Words failed Wanda and her hair changed into pure fire. She lunged at The Other and he punched her in the face. She hissed and brought her wand to his chest.

"You can't kill me, you know," he said. "Only Timmy can."

Wanda seemed beyond understanding this. He'd hurt Cosmo. Timmy could see it in her eyes. Cosmo's pain meant more to her than logic at the moment.

"Stupid frach," he spat. Wanda snarled and launched herself as a fire ball. The Other didn't catch fire; he brought down a cardboard box full of supplies down on her head. Wanda groaned and collapsed atop Cosmo. She had a large bump on her forehead and grabbed Cosmo. She was dazed, but not unconscious. She whimpered, staring at Timmy.

"I told you they were useless," The Other said. "Now do you believe me?"

Stunned, Timmy gaped at him. Wanda's fingers twitched and he brushed them. She appeared to be asking him if he understood now the danger they were all in.

"How is this going to help me get my parents back?" he asked.

"Look at it this way," The Other said. "They can't protect you. They can't help you. When they're gone, you're free to have your own choices, your own rules. I'll tell you more, if you agree to meet me again later."

"Why should I..." Timmy said, staring at his godparents. He was too tired and shocked to be upset. "Look at what you did to Cosmo and Wanda."

"They aren't strong enough. They aren't worthy of you," The Other answered. "Tootie's approaching. She's not worthy of you either. The only people worthy of you are those who have fought and succeeded for you. Your parents came back from the grave for you. These two...they wouldn't even last that long." He sneered.

((Do you believe me now?))

"I don't know..." Timmy said. His stomach flip flopped. Wanda looked so defeated and Cosmo's forehead continued to ooze shining, sparkling blood.

"Think on it," he said and kissed him on the forehead. He walked out and then vanished in the hallway, in time for Tootie to walk in. Timmy brushed his fingers against Wanda's again and she pleaded with him silently. He shut his eyes and waited for Tootie.


	6. Case of the Bs

Chapter Six: A Case of the "B"s

Tootie's heart clenched painfully and she scrutinized Timmy, breathing shallowly but perhaps still conscious, and in a state of undress. The Other had gotten his pants off, but not his underwear, and his hand clenched. Beside him, Wanda and Cosmo were crushed under a cardboard box Tootie removed and Wanda sighed, relaxing atop her husband. Tootie stepped back, feeling something slick and sticky under her shoe. Cosmo's blood oozed from the cut and she thought she might be sick.

However, her first priority would always remain Timmy, and she turned around in the incredibly small space, made smaller by the three occupants, to kneel at his side. Wanda edged back, holding Cosmo as if daring Tootie to take him from her.

"Timmy!" Tootie cried and stroked his clammy cheeks. He moaned and Tootie noticed the scrunchie's faint weight on her head vanish. Cal appeared in his normal form and used his wand to elevate Cosmo and Wanda off the floor, to allow Tootie more room. Tootie, meanwhile, ran her fingers through Timmy's scalp to see if he had any matching bruises. He didn't. She wrapped her arms around him protectively, mirroring Wanda, and looked up at Cal.

Calente shut his eyes and his wand glowed. Wanda opened hers and looked ruffled. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I appreciate what you're doing, but I'm fine," she said. "Worry about Cosmo."

"I will once I've verified you haven't hurt yourself," Cal replied. Wanda hissed.

"Cosmo first, then me," she said. Cal disregarded her and used his wand to heal her. He frowned, contemplatively.

"Did you know you've been mildly poisoned?" he inquired and cast a disparaging look at the vines which had decayed onto the floor. Tootie hadn't noticed, but her skirt brushed them. They carried with them the distinct odor of death, prompting her to gag. One wave of Cal's wand and they disappeared too. Wanda stared at the floor with her lower lip curled.

"I was aware, yes," she said. She snatched her wand and proceeded to attempt to provide an antidote, but he steadied her hand.

"I should examine you and Cosmo in a wider area, perhaps the tree house," he said. "For the moment, I believe Timmy is of greater importance. He doesn't possess healing magic like we do."

He turned to his goddaughter, who had her arms so tightly around Timmy only death would remove them.

"Tootie, you have to move so I can examine him," Cal said, remarkably patient.

"No," she said and felt tears rising to the surface. "Cal...I tried...why won't he listen to me? I warned him..."

"I can't help him if you insist on using him as a life preserver," he said and poked her with his wand.

"Sorry." Arms wrapped about herself, Tootie scooted over and Wanda descended, Cosmo in her arms.

"It's not your fault," Wanda said quietly.

"Exactly. You know Timmy hasn't been listening to you all summer, why should he start now?" Cal said and conjured up a stethoscope. He moved it around Timmy's chest and Tootie willed herself to calm down, but her breaths came quicker and quicker instead. She had no idea what The Other had done to Timmy, or why he felt so fragile in their bond. Wanda laid a hand on her shoulder and Tootie's mind ran wild with possibilities. What if The Other had found a way to harm Timmy without ultimately harming himself? What if this was part of his new plot?

"Sweetie, you have to breathe," Wanda reminded her.

"He'll be all right," Cal finally said after what felt like eternity. "He's suffering from an energy deficit, caused by too little sleep and compounded by The Other taking his energy. After he gets a good rest, he'll recover."

Tootie nodded and Cal stared.

"I need a wish."

"Oh, right," she said, chagrined. "I wish Timmy were safe at home..." Lowering her voice, she added, "And his parents were dust in the wind."

"Sorry. Didn't catch that last part."

She blushed. "Nothing, it was nothing. Just send him home."

Cal inclined his head, and, in a flash, the three faeries and human boy left. Tootie turned, heart heavy, and slipped in Cosmo's blood. Wincing, she used a shelf to pull herself up. Cosmo's blood was wet on her skirt and she eased open the door.

Standing outside, Chester and A.J. stared back at her and she smiled weakly.

"Uh, hey..." she said.

"I know I'm not an expert on everything Timmy," AJ started, "but I'm starting to think something very strange is going on."

"Why is that blood sparkling?" Chester said, pointing to her skirt. She grimaced.

"I'll tell you what I can," she promised.

* * *

Vicky was bored. Normally, when she was bored, she'd try to find a babysitting job, except she didn't want to go out and torture someone. She'd rather stay indoors, where it was safe. Plus, to tell the truth, she was afraid of retribution. She'd thought The Other was a kindred spirit, and he'd taken advantage of her. What if all the children she'd taken advantage of ganged up on her and hurt her?

No, it was safer to be a shut in.

In an attempt to alleviate her boredom, she flicked on the TV. This show looked vaguely familiar. In fact, it looked like something Tootie might watch. She curled up on the couch, grabbed a pillow to hug to her chest, and began to watch. Tootie was the only family she had left, even if she was hopelessly hooked to the twerp to her detriment. She might as well muster up what slim solidarity she had.

* * *

Tootie told them everything she could conceivably could. The Other had gone from being Timmy's anti faerie self to an evil teenage relative, Cosmo and Wanda were omitted, and she strung it together in such a fashion that it barely held up under inspection. There was no real way to be coherent about a magical sequence of events without mentioning magic.

"Timmy thinks his parents have returned from the grave, so he's spending all his time talking to them instead of being a normal, functioning member of society," Chester said. "He's abandoning all his friends for the sake of these 'ghosts'."

"Timmy's become delusional and we need to break him out before he really loses it," A.J. surmised.

"Yes," Tootie sighed, leaning against the wall for support. Her mind kept flashing back to Timmy's pale figure, along with Cosmo and Wanda so fragile and beaten down. Not to mention how proud and furious Wanda had been...

"It sounds like we'll have to give him some tough love," Chester said.

"Hmm?" Tootie straightened and started paying a little more attention. "What do you mean?"

"It's obvious Timmy's going to need someone to snap him out of it," A.J. said. "And it sounds like we're the right people for the job."

"How are we going to make Timmy listen to us?" Chester said and indicated Tootie. "He won't listen to her and she lives with him."

"We'll find a way," A.J. said. "The ghosts aren't real, after all. I'm sure after speaking with us, he'll see that."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Tootie muttered.

* * *

Timmy awoke to two figures floating above his head. Excited and relieved, he rubbed his eyes and beamed. "Mom! Dad! You came back!"

Then his vision settled and he glared. "Oh. It's you guys."

"Yes," Wanda said coldly. "It's us. Good morning to you too, sport. We weren't sure how long you were going to be asleep."

"Yeah, you were out of it." Cosmo added, his eyes narrowed.

"Where are my parents?" Timmy growled.

"Not here, obviously. Why don't you ask them when they get back from The Other? Hmm?" Wanda snapped.

"Liar!" Timmy screamed. "You're just trying to keep them away from me."

"We are doing no such thing!" Wanda cried. "We would never begrudge you time with your parents if it made you happy. Sweetie, we care about you."

"Bullshit," he snapped. Wanda's jaw dropped.

"Excuse me?" she said.

"You and Cosmo are trying to keep me from my parents and you're just jealous I prefer them over you."

Wanda bristled. "We are not jealous. I hate to say it, but your parents are dead and nothing, not even magic, is going to bring them back. It's time you realized the truth."

"Bitch," Timmy spat.

"How dare you!" she snapped. "We raised you better than that!"

"Did you?" Timmy said dangerously. Cosmo lunged, transforming himself into a rabid dog, and Wanda yanked him back with a magical, invisible leash. He snarled, snapping his teeth at Timmy. Wanda inhaled and exhaled, counting to ten, and disappeared from the room.

"Good riddance," he muttered.

* * *

Cosmo was shaking in anger and cursing out everything, slipping into the old faerie language when English failed him. He pivoted in mid air and snarled, frustrated and feeling ineffectual. Wanda watched him; her resentment was fueled by another source.

"You know this isn't him talking," Wanda said quietly. Cosmo disappeared and reappeared in the tree house when Wanda restrained him to keep him from going after Timmy. "He's not doing this on purpose."

Cosmo snorted. "Yeah, right."

"It isn't. Since when has Timmy ever used vulgarity? The Other profanes, not our godson."

Deciding her words would have greater effect through telepathy, Wanda decided to speak more openly. ((Energy is neither created nor lost, merely transferred. Do you know what that is?))

((No.)) His anger fled, replaced by confusion and curiosity. He drifted closer to her and stroked her left wing with the back of his hand. Her eyelids fluttered and she moaned. It was a struggle to restore her previous train of thought.

((It's the Law of Conservation of Energy and it also applies to magic. When The Other acquired Timmy's energy, he transferred his own to Timmy. The Other, unwittingly, is lashing out at us through Timmy.))

((He doesn't need to lash out through Timmy. He beat us on his own.)) Cosmo sulked and Wanda squeezed his hand. He kissed her neck and ran his fingers over her curls.

((Maybe so, but we can still influence him. The Other doesn't like that.))

((So?)) Cosmo nuzzled her cheek and trailed kisses down her neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and his hands slipped underneath the cloth. Their lips met for a slow kiss, full of promise.

((He might apologize. Thanks for defending my honor, sweetie.))

Cosmo flew her down to the bed and carried her like a precious jewel. He buried his face in her hair and kissed it, then kissed along her cheeks and removed her shirt. Wanda smiled gently back.

((I love you,)) he sent. ((And I always will.))

* * *

In his room, Timmy clamped a hand to his mouth and stared at the space where Cosmo and Wanda had occupied. He didn't even know what possessed him to say such a thing. He loved them and he kept driving them away. What was wrong with him?

He could have his parents and them too, just like the old times. He kept thinking of how small Wanda had looked, her fingers brushed against his. She was small and fierce, desperate to protect what was hers. It reminded him of someone else, too. Tootie and Wanda had a lot in common. Tootie would have charged in there armed with a fairy wand if she could have.

Tootie, Cosmo, and Wanda all loved and cared for him. He kept driving the wedge deeper and deeper.

_What have I done?_

((Just what I wanted you to do.))

((What the? How did you read my thoughts? What are you doing in my head? Get out!))

((You aren't yourself anymore, are you, my love?)) His mental voice was scathing and Timmy balled his fists. He looked out the window, but he'd closed his curtains. The fish bowl, as it had been since a few months ago, remained empty. Cosmo and Wanda never stayed in there now that he'd given them the tree house.

((What are you talking about? I told you to get out of my head!))

((Love thy enemy. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.)) Lorenzo scoffed and Timmy growled.

((I don't want any part of you!))

((It's too late for that. By the way, keep calling Wanda a bitch and I'm sure, in time, she'll see how useless she really is.)) The Other laughed in his mind and withdrew.

Timmy leapt out of bed and rushed to the window. He opened the curtains and stared at the tree house, but they had drawn their curtains. Groaning, he rested against the window. He didn't call them. He was so conflicted. Cosmo and Wanda weren't as good as his real parents, but they loved him almost as much, if not more, than his biological ones. Cosmo and Wanda wanted to prevent him from being happy, from spending time with his parents. And yet...they'd defended him so staunchly, had been so concerned.

He ran his fingers through his hair and longed for simpler times, when his godparents were goldfish, his parents employed Vicky, and he didn't have to worry what anyone really thought. Had he really hurt Wanda? Was The Other right about them? He didn't know, and, the disturbing part was, a small fraction of him didn't want to know, either.

"Hey, missed us, sweetie?" Mrs. Turner called and Timmy ripped himself from the window. He beamed at her and she beamed back.

"Only a whole lot!" Timmy said and ran to his mother, suddenly unsure as to why he was depressed in the first place. So what if he'd hurt Wanda's feelings? Nothing mattered as long as he had his parents.

"Hey, let's play ghost baseball!" his father said. "I'll be the ball."

"You can't be the ball, dear, the bat would pass right through you," his mother objected.

"Oh, yeah, right," he said and laughed. His mother laughed too, and Timmy joined in. Nothing mattered as long as he had his parents.

* * *

Vicky was waiting at the table when Tootie got home, a large legal pad in front of her. There was an eerie silence- this was the first time either had laid eyes upon each other in more than a month. Tootie retreated, uncertain to her sister's motives. The last time she'd seen her with a memo pad, it had included a list of chores and black mail procedures.

"Sit," Vicky said in a monotone. Tootie developed goosebumps.

"Why are you here?" Tootie said, distrusting her and putting as much space as she could between the two.

"I want to talk."

"About what? What could possibly concern _you_?" Tootie spat, her voice laced with venom. She walked past the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Timmy."

Tootie spun around and fixed her sister with a bizarre look. "What did you call him?"

"Timmy, you know, the twerp," Vicky continued to speak in the bland monotone sending shivers down Tootie's spine.

"Why do you want to talk about him?" Tootie said, neutral, crossing her arms over her chest. She descended the stairs and stayed in the living room; she looked in on Vicky.

"Oh, you know, curious whether his other self is out destroying the world like he's ruining relationships," Vicky said. "I bet he's already chased away Cosmo and Wanda _and _you."

For a while, Tootie just stared at Vicky and she at her. They unconsciously imitated each other, even the same nervous habits. Tootie felt Cal's weight in her hair and was only marginally reassured. Vicky stared holes into her face. Tootie trembled despite herself.

"What do you really want?" Tootie said, suspicious.

"Exactly what I said I did. Why is that so hard to believe?" Vicky snapped.

"Oh, I don't know, because you're Vicky?" Tootie snapped. "Destroyer of dreams, worlds, and possibly planets."

"You might not like me, but I'm the only family you've got left!" Vicky countered. "Now, you can moon over Turner all you want, but he's not going to give you the right time of day. Or, you could stick with me, and at least I won't abandon you in favor of two dead people."

Vicky spat at Tootie's feet and stormed down into the basement. Tootie's ears rang and she glanced at the memo pad Vicky had left. Curiosity compelled her closer and she lifted it up. Every character in every show she watched was outlined and every episode numbered, named, and detailed. There was even a section for voice actors/actresses. Vicky had gone all out.

Carting the pad, Tootie braved the elements and started down the basement stairs. Vicky was curled up on the couch watching TV again. The light flickered, providing more illumination than the rest of the basement. Vicky evidently wasn't a big favor of preserving her vision. Tootie walked into a box, swore, and stepped around it.

"What is this?" Tootie inquired, holding up the pad, trying to keep her tone light and casual.

Vicky didn't answer right away. On screen, a cartoon boy with white hair turned transparent and walked through walls. His best friends, a goth girl and an African American boy, stood in front of his locker to conceal the fact their best friend had just turned into a ghost. Tootie recognized it- "Danny Phantom".

"Why are you watching a cartoon?" Tootie sat on the end of the couch and regarded her sister. "You hate cartoons."

"They're not so bad," Vicky said, shrugging. "Hell of a lot better than dealing with the real world."

"Oh..." Tootie didn't know what to say to that. "Why did you make a list of all my favorite shows?"

"Hate is exhausting."

"Huh?"

"You don't realize how much energy it takes until it's gone," Vicky said. The show had gone to commercial, now talking about a kid with a freakishly large head and a predilection for aliens.

"You wanted to get to know me?" Tootie said, changing the subject. Vicky's unemotional responses were unnerving her. This burned out husk couldn't possibly be the sister who had terrorized her for years.

"Why not? It's not like you've got anyone else to talk to. That faerie of yours is never around, and the twerp wouldn't know kindness if it bit him in the ass."

"Why should I trust you? You were the one who burned all my Timmy things and forbade me to speak to him under penalty of torture."

Vicky laughed curtly. "It looks like I was right, wasn't it? And maybe because, unlike the twerp, I won't sic my evil anti faerie on you, even if I had one."

"You really want to get to know me?" Tootie repeated.

"Are you really this dense?" Vicky countered.

"Fine, I'll stay," Tootie said. She was uncomfortable, but perhaps this might have a way of working out, in a really bizarre fashion. And she always had Cal, if she needed him.

* * *

The doorbell rang, jarring Tootie and Vicky from their near-trance like state on the couch. Tootie jumped to her feet.

"Oh, sorry," she said. "It's Chester and A.J. I told them to come over."

Vicky nodded and turned back to the screen. Her eyes acquired a glazed look and Tootie wondered if she'd even heard her. The door bell rang again and Tootie hissed, darting up the stairs. Seriously, what happened to patience?

Flinging the door open, she glowered at Timmy's friends, a little out of breath. "Didn't you think I might be busy?"

Chester goggled at the open basement door. "Doesn't Vicky live in that part of the house?"

"It's not like she's evil…"

They stared.

"…anymore. I'll just close that." Tootie strode over and shut it swiftly, sounds of Rudy Tabootie and Penny Sanchez clearly audible. _Vicky's certainly becoming eccentric._

"What did you want to talk to _me_ about, anyway?" Tootie said, hand still on the doorknob.

"We were wondering if a confrontation in Timmy's home might be best. He won't have far to run." A.J. pointed out.

_Since the one in school went so smoothly. _"Even so, what makes you think it'll work?"

"Well, this is where we always hang out. Why not?" Chester said with a happy smile.

"I don't know…"

"We'll find out in a few minutes, won't we?" A.J. said as he and Chester grabbed each of her arms and dragged her up the stairs.

"Wait! This isn't a good idea! Why are you dragging _me_ into this?" Tootie protested every step of the way.

"We aren't doing this for you," A.J. said.

"We're doing it for Timmy," Chester added.

Finally, they arrived at his door, Tootie stepped in front and tried to bar their entrance. "No, listen, you want to rethink this. It's not a good idea, he's-"

A.J. snorted. "Whatever he's doing, it's not half as important as what we're about to talk to him about. Now, leave."

"I won't!"

"You want us to help him, don't you?" Chester said.

"Not here!"

"Oh, honestly!" A.J. snapped and grabbed the doorknob. "Are you behind us or not?"

"I am, but…" Tootie said weakly.

"Then get out of the way!" Chester snapped and both managed to remove the obstacle and open the door.

They staggered back and Tootie covered her mouth, suppressing a gasp. Timmy and his ghastly parents were playing video games.


	7. Fools in Love

Chapter Seven: Fools in Love

Chester and A.J. were stupefied. Timmy's parents hung over him and whatever logical explanation A.J. should have had vanished before his eyes. Tootie knew trying to convince Timmy his parents were an illusion was fruitless, but she had hoped, however foolishly, his friends wouldn't walk in on them. She suppressed a groan.

There was another more puzzling development. Timmy's parents had been see through when they first arrived. Tootie hadn't spent much time around them and hadn't been able to observe much. Now, they were foggy, like a storm cloud had taken up residence in their bodies. Mr. Turner high fived Timmy and he shuddered, condensation appearing on his hands. Tootie stared.

((Every violent action he takes, every profane word he speaks, every time he hurts his godparents, his parents regain their bodies a little.))

Tootie jerked at The Other's voice inside her mind. He must be nearby or else linked into Timmy in order to ascertain her reactions. It unnerved her and she considered ignoring him. Unfortunately, her curiosity won out. She shivered, disregarding Chester and A.J.

((But, then what happened?)) she inquired.

((Timmy took a page out of my book and said something that's needed to be said for quite a long time.))

Tootie groaned. The Other was relishing the moment and drawing it out. She rolled her eyes at his pedantry and replied, ((Which would be...?))

((Timmy called Wanda a bitch. I have it on instant replay, would you care to see it? I assure you, it's quite entertaining. Within your mind, you'll even receive surround sound!))

Tootie scowled. ((I don't want to see it. How dare you make Timmy profane his godmother.))

((Don't you believe me? There's a simple way to prove it,)) The Other sent and she felt his cruel, malicious smile. ((Redo!))

From Lorenzo's point of view, she saw what Timmy could not possibly have known. Every time he sided with his parents and refuted reality, he weakened Cosmo and Wanda. It was no wonder they'd lost to The Other earlier today. He was siphoning off their magic and converting it into dark power. He did it by feeding off Timmy's resentment, which was linked to Cosmo and Wanda in hitherto impossible to see fashion. This meant the stronger Timmy's rejection, the more powerful The Other got and, conversely, the weaker Cosmo and Wanda grew.

Timmy's friends jerked her back from her hypothesizing and The Other withdrew, with a smirk, from her mind.

"Dude, I am not seeing what I think I am," Chester yelled.

"I agree. This is quite impossible."

Then, without a second glance, they fled, down the stairs and out the door. Tootie watched them go, slightly forlorn, and glared at Timmy. Not only was he being selfish and shoving away his godparents who loved him, he was actually hurting them in the long run. They couldn't exactly protect him against The Other if The Other had all their power. He looked nonchalant, too, blissfully unaware of what he was doing.

Swiftly striding to the power plug, she yanked it and the TV one free, harshly. She flung them to the floor and whirled on him.

"What the heck was that for?" he snapped.

"We need to talk. Now!"

Timmy opened his mouth to protest and Tootie yanked him to his feet, down the hall, along the stairs, and out the door. Timmy fumbled behind her, unable to keep up with her fast pace. Tootie thought if she stopped, she might hit him. Then again, she might hit him anyway.

"What? I almost had that guy licked!" Timmy snapped.

Tootie slapped him hard, leaving a handprint. She was shaking with rage, positively glowing with it. "What? Why don't you ask Wanda that, after you called her a bitch! That's what!"

Wincing, Timmy held his cheek, staring at her. "I…"

"Get up there, now, and apologize. You may not agree with everything she says, but that gives you no right to insult her!"

"She's trying to drive me away from me and my parents and she won't admit she's jealous!"

Tootie slapped him again, tears in her eyes. "In case you haven't noticed, they have nothing to be jealous _of_. As for the first thing, she always wanted what's best for you, even if you were too thick to see it."

"I..."

"Is that all you can say?" she mocked. "You were out of line. Shut up and admit it."

Timmy swallowed hard and didn't speak.

"You'll get up there and apologize."

Timmy sighed, exasperated. "I know I was out of line. I know I shouldn't be driving them away. I was _going _to apologize, before you made me your personal punching bag."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Are you?" Timmy said, holding his cheek.

"You deserved to be slapped," Tootie snapped. He didn't even know the extent of what he'd done.

Timmy grabbed the stair rungs to climb up there when Tootie jerked him back. He swiveled his head around to stare at her. "What is it now?"

"Call to them first."

"What? Why?"

"They might not be..." she paused and blushed. "Decent."

"You mean they'll be mad at me?" Timmy said.

Tootie slapped a hand to her forehead. "That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Timmy looked completely clueless, which was hardly a new experience.

"Just call them!"

A dull flush erupted along Timmy's neck and he craned his head upward. "Uh, guys? Cosmo? Wanda?"

Wanda stuck her head out of the tree house. A curtain concealed the rest of her body and it was as Tootie suspected. Her cheeks remained inflamed and she really wished someone would sit down and explain the facts of life to Timmy, or at least give him the abridged edition.

"Are you here to apologize?" Wanda snapped.

"Yes," Timmy said and Cosmo's head appeared beside hers. He grinned, staring at Timmy cradling his cheek and Tootie, who was blushing fit to cook an egg.

"Heh, heh. You got bitch-slapped."

"Cosmo!" Wanda snapped.

Timmy groaned, rubbing his cheek. "Can we just come up?"

"In a sec," Wanda said and she and Cosmo's heads disappeared from the curtains. Timmy tapped his foot, impatient, and continued to crane his neck upward in a way Tootie was certain would give him a crick in the neck.

"I told you they weren't decent," Tootie said, willing her blush to recede.

"They weren't that mean," Timmy defended.

Tootie groaned and banged her head against the tree. "I'm only going to say this once, Timmy. Decent means you're wearing clothes."

"Why wouldn't they be?" he said. He gawked at her and she smacked her head into the tree again.

"Sometimes you drive me nuts!"

"Why?"

Tootie released an inarticulate scream and banged her head a couple more times into the tree.

Cosmo and Wanda poofed in front of the tree house and lifted them up via their wands. Wanda received Tootie and Cosmo had Timmy, with the effect that Cosmo's wand 'accidentally' smacked Timmy around into branches, atop the tree, and, on one memorable occasion, straight into a bird's nest in front of a mother bird. Tootie arrived before Timmy and saw Wanda smirk at Cosmo's mishandling.

Tootie landed neatly, on her feet, in front of the tree house's opening. The entire tree house looked like Cosmo and Wanda had exploded into it, with pink and green everywhere. The centerpiece was a large four poster bed, with pink sheets and green curtains. As a testament to their prior activities, the sheets were half on the floor and the pillows had joined them. The pillows were half pink, half green.

Two bay windows looked out onto Timmy's room and another two looked out onto the street. The windows all had pink and green curtains and the carpet consisted of soft, luxurious green carpeting that made Tootie want to roll around in it. It looked to be four inches thick and probably just as comfortable as their bed.

On their nightstand, they had a picture of Timmy and, next to it, a picture of themselves, which looked like it had been created around the time photography started. Both photos were in glass frames. In front of Timmy's picture, Wanda had a large hardcover book with a bookmark in it. Tootie could see the chain from her position on the floor.

Across from the bed, they had their bureaus and overhanging it, a mirror. Beside the bureaus was a dressing table with make up and a small chair, faerie sized, for Wanda to preen herself in the mirror. There was also a bookshelf in the corner filled to the brim with books, though Da Rules took up an entire shelf. All in all, Tootie was impressed. It looked nothing like a tree house from the inside.

Timmy bounced onto the floor and landed on his stomach. Eyes watering, he wiped them and glared at Wanda. "You could be a little gentler."

"Wand slipped," she said, with no remorse evident. Timmy crawled into a sitting position beside Tootie.

"I didn't mean what I said," he said. He looked Cosmo and Wanda in the eyes. "I really am sorry."

Wanda smiled. "I know you are, sport. Apology accepted."

Something caught Timmy's eyes and he jumped to his feet to stare through the bay windows at his room. His father had managed to plug the video games and TV back in and Tootie's stomach unpleasantly churned. His parents had enough corporeal form to manipulate real world objects. Timmy's apology hadn't affected anything at all. Her heart leaped into her throat.

Timmy glanced at his godparents, looked uneasy, and backed up. "So, the video game's back in...and, uh, my parents are waiting. We're cool, right?"

Wanda sighed. "I really don't think it's a good idea for you to-"

"Okay, I love you, bye!" he said and sped down the ladder as fast as his little body could carry him. Tootie's mouth dropped. Wanda snarled, hair turning to flames temporarily. Her hands clenched as if she longed to strangle someone.

"_Timmy_..." she growled.

* * *

Lorenzo DeMedici was not having a good day, not any more. Not only had Cosmo, Wanda, and Tootie thwarted him before he'd managed to acquire Timmy's energy, but he'd lost his edge over his sire. The tug of war between Cosmo and Wanda and his real parents was temporarily erring in the faerie's favor, and it made Lorenzo want to murder someone. Tootie, Cosmo, and Wanda were his preferences, but he couldn't cajole Timmy over to his side if he murdered them now. He could read Timmy's mind- he knew he questioned Wanda's warnings, but hadn't discarded them out of hand again.

He swept around the barren practice room. His mansion was composed of various other rooms, borrowed from different houses, and this room might have been a ballet studio in the distant past. The mirrors were broken and dust clung to everything, including his leather boots when he stomped around the room. It was fairly wide, the room, stretching at least twenty feet in both directions, and resembled a rectangle more, far longer than it was wide. The once pristine wooden floors were impossible to see under the grime and profound darkness.

"Fucking _frach,_" he snarled, punching the air. "Fucking _whore_." He pivoted, longing to go out and punish those who had dared impede his plan. He hadn't believed Cosmo was capable of defending Wanda, since he was the weakest link, but there he was, keeping him from his goal too. Lorenzo hated them all.

He concentrated and produced a nebulous black energy ball. Smiling cruelly, he sent it along its way. If he couldn't touch Tootie physically, there were other ways to get his message across.

* * *

_Tootie's hair stood on end and she held her breath, chest constricting, upon entering her old elementary school. It had never felt ominous before, but now she stumbled, slipping in a sticky wet patch. She looked down and discovered it was blood, dark and sparkling. Her heart clenched painfully and she realized the blood formed a trail. Little droplets ran in a line down the hallway and she began to follow it, dreading what she might find._

_Against her skin, a cold wind blew out of nowhere and Tootie looked up. The lights flickered on and off and all the windows were smashed beyond repair. Glass panes clung to a couple and wind whistled through the holes. It raised the hair on the nape of her neck, along bringing up goosebumps. She tasted blood in her mouth and swallowed it back, but it lingered. Her mouth was dry and the blood ran over her cracked lips. _

_The hallway was longer than usual, and the blood puddles increased in size, until she felt something warm and sticky drop onto her face. She looked up and screamed- Calente hung from a rope and his face had been cut to ribbons. Skin dangled in straps and beneath it, dull red muscle layers were faintly visible in the flickering lights. His tongue protruded from his mouth and his vacant eyes stared at nothing. Tootie wasn't sure The Other had killed him by mangling or by lynching, and her stomach revolted. She didn't throw up, but her stomach felt like a hard rock inside her body. _

_"Tootie..." Cosmo whispered and Tootie jerked her head. Cold sweat formed on her forehead and trickled down her neck and back. She walked straight into a door and it opened before her, revealing the principal's office. _

_The principal's office had gotten a makeover too, sharing the flickering lights and now featuring Cosmo, lying bound by thick ropes, atop the desk. His blood had soaked the papers and he shook convulsively. Tootie stepped closer, to help Cosmo, and a shadow fell over her. The Other spun her around and laughed at her gasp._

_"You should see what I've done with Wanda..." he said and then stepped back, fading into the dark. Tootie stared at the space he had occupied, and wails cut through her like knives. She couldn't abandon Cosmo, but Wanda needed her help. Scooping Cosmo up into her arms, she carried him into the assistant principal's office, where Timmy sat behind the desk. He twirled a knife between his fingers._

_The assistant principal's office, by comparison, had the brightest lighting she'd ever seen in a nightmare. It burned her eyes after the last few scenes, and she was too stunned to fight Timmy tearing Cosmo from her arms. By the time her vision had settled into anything resembling normal, Timmy had the blade pressed against Cosmo's throat. His eyes were wide, pleading silently with his godson._

_"What did you do with Wanda?" Cosmo cried. _

_"Ssh," Timmy said. "The birds are singing."_

_"Okay..." Tootie said and turned around. She stared at the door, and, from behind, The Other snatched her and held her above the floor. She kicked and struggled, but her fighting only weakened her, and strengthened her enemy. The Other's breath was warm on her head._

_"Where's Wanda?" Tootie repeated Cosmo's question._

_"Funny you should ask that," The Other said and kicked a box out from under the desk. Timmy dumped it on the desk next to Cosmo and flung off the lid. Wanda was lying there, barely breathing, barely moving, and Tootie could feel her heart sputtering. Next to Wanda was Vicky's head and Tootie screamed, recoiling and stepping on The Other's feet to get away._

_"We're a happy little family now," The Other said and brought his hand down Timmy's shoulders, along his chest, and into his pants. He groped Timmy and then sent magic dispersing throughout the room, so Wanda and Cosmo were both cognizant and aware of everything._

_"Aren't we, Timmy?" he asked and shoved Timmy's pants down. Timmy grinned from ear to ear and, while The Other gave him a hand job, he proceeded to slash Cosmo's and Wanda's throats in front of her.  
_

_

* * *

_

Tootie screamed until her throat went raw. The images had seared into her retinas and she couldn't stop shaking. Cosmo, Wanda, Timmy, Cal...

"Are you all right?" Vicky asked and Tootie screamed again. Oh god...Vicky...

"What the hell are you doing here?" Tootie shrieked.

"You were screaming so loud the Dinklebergs woke up, you stupid shrimp!" Vicky snapped. "You scared all the faeries half to death. I wound up coming in for them."

"Oh." Tootie murmured and cast her gaze at the bed sheets.

"Look," Vicky said and seemed pained. "I know I'm the last person you'd want to tell anything to, since I'll lord it over you until the end of time, but it might make you feel better. And then we can all get some goddamn sleep."

Taking a deep breath, Tootie relayed her dream to Vicky and burst into tears. She'd never realized how traumatic her dream was until she relived it. Then again, she'd never, as long as she lived, believed she'd tell her nightmare to her sister, Icky Vicky, and expect comfort. The world had gone topsy-turvy.

"Thanks for killing me off. It's very much appreciated."

"It's not like I did it on purpose!" Tootie snapped.

Vicky snorted. "Sure it wasn't."

"Ugh," Tootie said and glared at the wall. "Even when you're trying not to be mean, you're still nasty."

"Can't change the basic truth," Vicky said and rose. She gave Tootie a noogie. "Stop having nightmares and get some sleep, twerp, or I'll give you something to really scream about."

"Thanks," Tootie said flatly.

Vicky smirked. "No problem."


	8. Et tu, Timmy Turner?

Chapter Eight: Et Tu, Timmy Turner?

Timmy awoke with his senses tingling, a sensation he only received when his godparents were in the fish tank near him. Blinking, he stretched and glanced at the tank, where two fish yawned and stared back at him. He didn't smile at them. A scowl curved his lips instead.

"Hey," Wanda said weakly, shifting into her normal form. "Did you sleep well, sport?"

"Where are my parents?" Timmy said and shot an accusatory glance at Wanda.

"Your parents this, your parents that. You'd think you'd be happy to see us, but no!" Cosmo, transforming into his regular state, snapped. Timmy's eyes lingered on the corner of the room where his parents had been and usually happened to be every morning when he woke up. Now they were gone, and Cosmo and Wanda were here in their stead.

"What did you do to them?"

"Oh, here he goes with the accusations!" Cosmo groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "Go on; blame us a little more for things that aren't our fault."

"Cosmo!" Wanda snapped. "Sorry, sweetie."

"Well, if my parents aren't here, then I have no reason to stay," Timmy retorted and jumped out of bed. Wanda scowled.

"We need to talk," she said.

"I'm not listening," he snapped. "I'm not in the mood for another lecture, Wanda."

Wanda stiffened. "We're only doing this for your own good."

"Whatever," Timmy said. "No parents, no Timmy. I'm out."

* * *

"We are not going to be used against our son," Mr. Turner said. The two ghosts floated side by side in Lorenzo's kitchen. It was never actually used for food, but it served its purpose nonetheless as their customary meeting room. Lorenzo leaned against the table and his hair brushed against his back. Timmy's parents stood in front of the window and their opaqueness had increased.

"I don't see that you have much choice," The Other said. "I brought you into being. I can send you right back where you came from." His eyes gleamed.

"Let us not forget how 'we' ended up in this predicament."

Mr. and Mrs. Turner glared and folded their arms across their chests.

"You're still alive," Mrs. Turner said. "What do you need us for?"

The Other smiled mirthlessly. "Bait."

"We won't let you hurt our son!" Mrs. Turner said.

"Ah, but you already have," The Other said. "And you're going to continue to help, unless you want to see your son dead. Do you want to see him dead? Do you?"

Timmy's parents hung their heads and The Other smiled.

"I'm glad we have an understanding."

* * *

Befuddling Miss Waxelplax proved easier than ever now; he'd quickly risen up the ranks from a lunch man to an assistant principal, with more than a few spiked concoctions. It was amazing what sort of things could be accomplished with the right placed potions. He had his own office from which to plot, and now, the freedom to move about the school as he chose. Whatever paperwork he didn't want to do he relegated to a secretary, and, today, he had decided he deserved the sole privilege of observing teacher lesson plans. Normally, this would go to the head of department, but no one objected. Then again, no one really wanted the job.

Truth be told, had the teacher in question not been...interesting...Lorenzo wouldn't have wanted it either.

* * *

Crocker was nervous. Timmy watched him jump around the classroom and he glanced down at his notebook, where he had begun to doodle Cosmo and Wanda. Their forms remained lifeless, however, and their eyes blank and vacant. His doodling hadn't summoned them there. His subconscious mind might have wanted them, but his conscious one didn't.

The door opened and Crocker started. He wasn't the only one. Timmy tensed, glancing down at his notebook, and Cosmo suddenly winked at him. Timmy relaxed, staring at his godparents, and then at Wanda in particular, who had stiffened like a deer suddenly aware of a predator. They couldn't speak, not this close to their two enemies, but Timmy knew they could hear everything. A little speech bubble appeared over Wanda's head.

_"You called us?"_

_"I wasn't thinking," _he wrote back. Wanda's eyes narrowed, but the faeries remained. Timmy saw, for the first time, physical evidence of telepathy between the two. Little dots, which looked like compacted words, flew between the duo and then disappeared, as if Timmy had erased them. Wanda's gaze darted around on the picture as if she could, by will alone, make herself 3D. But she didn't dare change her position in the room, so close to The Other. _  
_

"You're early, I see," Crocker said and laughed nervously. He dropped the chalk and it split in half.

"I believe punctuality to be crucial," The Other said and selected the empty seat beside Timmy. Cosmo and Wanda vanished and The Other's eyes roved over the now empty page. But Timmy sensed they hadn't disappeared entirely. He tried not to glance backward, where Cosmo and Wanda were now part of the blinds.

"That doesn't count against me, does it?" Crocker kept laughing, on the verge of hysteria. The Other rolled his eyes.

((Why did you apologize?)) The Other asked.

((I didn't mean what I said. Something just...came over me. It's like I can't always control myself when I'm around them.))

At the chalkboard, Crocker had begun rambling about faeries. The Other rolled his eyes and wrote "clearly delusional" atop the page. He craned his neck to stare at the window blinds, but Cosmo and Wanda must have been directly behind him, because he didn't see them. He pursed his lips.

((Cosmo and Wanda have been a thorn in your side for some time, haven't they?))

Timmy stiffened. On the one hand, he was right. Conversely, this was Lorenzo, who had been his damnation for months now. He was unwilling to admit the point and balled his fists.

((They don't understand your devotion to your parents. They don't understand what it's like to have lost them and regained them. They want to keep you all to themselves, because they can't stand to see you with someone else. They're jealous, Timmy.))

His own words thrown back at him again. Timmy fidgeted.

((Did she beg for your forgiveness?))

((Huh?))

((Women are wily. They say one thing and mean another. Wanda might be chastising you on one hand, but on the other, she might have another hidden agenda. You can't trust her.))

((...but...)) Try as he might, he couldn't think of a decent counterargument.

((She's trying to keep you from your parents. Think on it. Who has always been the brains in the act? Who instigated the desire to change places with your godparents in the first place? Who has always been nagging at you, trying to squash you down, and force you to conform to her way of thinking? Who keeps going after you even when you told her you didn't want her opinion?))

((...but...but...Wanda...)) He couldn't lie mind to mind. The Other smiled.

((I know you have your misgivings, but let me allay your fears. Meet me after school in the axillary training room and we'll discuss this further.))

((The last time I met you alone, you almost raped me,)) Timmy snapped.

((Ah, but this time will be different. I promise you I will not lay a hand on you tonight.))

You couldn't lie mind to mind. Timmy hesitated and then, feeling almost as if he were invoking an irrevocable oath, said, ((I'll be there.))

((Good.))

* * *

Chemistry was a bust. Her teacher had a migraine again, decreed the students should complete busy work, and assigned two helper students in case the others had questions. Tootie had slipped out quietly, under the pretense of using the bathroom, and removed a small tape recorder she had on her. She knew tape recorders were antiquated by today's standards, but she hadn't exactly had all the time in the world to go shopping. Besides, it served its purpose.

She turned the tape recorder over in her hands. At least on one account she'd been truthful. In the bathroom, she stood, toying with the machine, and realized, eyes widening, that this wasn't her tape recorder. Not only that, but it wasn't an ordinary one. Carved in the underside were Cosmo's and Wanda's initials. Just when had Timmy owned a faerie recorder?

She stared at the tape, which she had assumed to be fresh. There was an hour recording on it, and she had no idea what was on it. What Timmy had recorded? He wasn't the type to take notes or dictations. And if this was a magical recorder, what else had it picked up?

An hour...she chewed the inside of her lip.

* * *

Vicky couldn't stick to one particular channel. Instead, she flicked the remote at the TV over and over again, her stomach turning with every new channel. TV should be a soothing balm to her concerns, but she couldn't dislodge her problems so easily today. Hugging her knees to her chest, she hoped that maybe, just maybe, TV would suddenly envelope her in its warming glow and prompt her to forget this unease.

* * *

Cosmo and Wanda had discretely followed Timmy throughout the day, but Cosmo's lingering discomfort prompted Wanda to return home for a bit. How strange, to conceive of the tree house as home when its owner had resolutely shoved them out of their life. Still, she didn't like how pale her husband had grown, like he was having one of his hunches except accompanied by a migraine.

The magical imbalance in Dimmsdale grew stronger.

"What's the matter, sugar?" Wanda asked as they sat together on the bed. She drew Cosmo into her arms and stroked his hair.

Cosmo stared ahead, at nothing. "I don't know..."

* * *

Timmy was late. Lorenzo paced back and forth and then lunged at the door when it opened. Timmy took the stairs cautiously, scanning the area around him. His steps made the stairs creak and The Other smiled. From Timmy's vantage point, the child could see a medium sized room equipped with blue padding along the walls and floor, and, positioned at the back, two practice dummies. Along the far wall were dulled swords for fighting, bows and arrows, fencing gear, and a wooden box, its contents indiscernible without opening it. A single window, dusty and permanently stuck open, let in scant sunlight. Overhead bulbs provided the rest of the light and Timmy faltered, standing at the stairs' base and staring at The Other. The Other smiled.

"What are you waiting for?" The Other said. Timmy headed further into the room and failed to close the door behind him. Frowning, The Other drew him away from the doorway and into the room itself. At the moment, the stairs were hidden to them.

"All right, dude, I'm here. What did you want to talk to me about?"

The Other indicated a sandwich platter he had prepared for Timmy. It turned out the cooks could produce decent fare if their lives depended on it. He had situated the sandwich platter atop a small table, along with a large soda bottle and a cup. The Other had no need of such things. He never ate or drank. Instead, he drew his power solely from magic, and the ley lines around Dimmsdale. Dimmsdale had been a fount of faerie magic for so long, it had residual traces for The Other to tap into.

"No thank you," Timmy remarked coolly. The Other turned, extending his mental abilities to discover any potential enemies lying in wake. He had a faint blip on the radar, but it wasn't outputting enough energy to be a faerie. He ignored it for the time being. If it were Tootie, she could serve as messenger to the others. If it were someone less important, he'd murder them. It didn't matter at the moment.

"Are you sure I can't tempt you?" The Other asked and Timmy scowled, shaking his head.

"Very well, then," he said. "I'm sure you've noticed your parents growing more substantial over the past few weeks."

"Yeah...but I thought I was imagining things," Timmy said. The Other sprawled onto the floor and, surprised, Timmy copied him. The Other admired his locks, the way they framed his face, and his breath caught in his throat. He thought he could stare at Timmy for hours and not grow bored. Then he stopped himself. He wouldn't permit himself to grow obsessed with his sire the way others had. It was detrimental to his plans.

"You weren't," The Other affirmed. "In fact, the more you abjure Cosmo and Wanda, the stronger they become."

"Okay..." Timmy said. "What does 'abjure' mean?"

"It means to renounce, to declaim, to repudiate," The Other said and scowled. Timmy had a vacant look on his face. He hissed between clenched teeth. "Oh, honestly, don't they teach you anything at that wretched school?"

"How did you get to be so smart?" Timmy said and Lorenzo shrugged.

"I simply came into being possessing a superior intellect," he said. "Returning to my prior point, however- your parents have grown more substantial. This is due to you refusing to listen to Cosmo and Wanda."

"Wait, so the more I reject Cosmo and Wanda, the more real my parents become?" Timmy said.

"In a matter of speaking, yes. You know what must be done, then?"

Timmy's vacant expression returned. The Other refrained from slapping a palm to his forehead. There was truth in the adage- you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. He continued slowly, knowing if he jumped to the conclusion, Timmy might refuse him.

"In order to facilitate- that means to help bring into being- your parents' full restoration into life, Cosmo and Wanda must be sacrificed," The Other said. The words weren't exactly how he wanted to phrase it, but he had to ease Timmy into the concept.

"What do you mean?" Timmy said. "Cosmo and Wanda are..."

"In the way," he replied. "The more you push them away, the more you hurt them, the stronger and more complete your parents grow. And, in order to complete the master step, you must commit but one minor infraction."

Timmy looked puzzled, but, rare enough for him, contemplative. "What is it?"

"You have to cut yourself off from them for good," he said. "Remove all their tethers to you, and to life itself."

"...'to life itself'?" Timmy repeated. "What do you mean?" His eyes widened.

"You have to eliminate them," Lorenzo said. "You, and you alone, hold the power to do this. You are the key to bringing your parents back, but only by destroying Cosmo and Wanda can you-"

"You want me to murder my godparents," Timmy said. He stared at him like he were a madman, but The Other could feel leniency, a push in the right direction which might be able to encourage Timmy to join him. He followed it and manipulated forces within his mind. He let himself recall his shared memories with his sire.

"Are you crazy?" Timmy sputtered. "Murder Cosmo and Wanda?"

"But, Timmy, what have they really done for you?" The Other said and began to send him images, fragments of memories, reminders of what Cosmo and Wanda were capable of. He showed him how callous his godparents could be toward him, how they had often disregarded him in favor of their own selfish demands, particularly plied him with memories of this summer by digging through his sire's mind, and added in a few extra insinuations. He implied Cosmo and Wanda had always lied to him and kept their own counsel, had never wanted his parents returned because they wanted Timmy all for themselves. He added to the poisonous mix Timmy had already engendered, suffusing him with ill will toward his godparents. He reminded Timmy it had been through his godparents The Other had been able to rise, and harm those he loved, but he downplayed how much he'd hurt Timmy.

Instead, he focused on how Cosmo and Wanda had subjugated him, how they had been unable to do what had to be done with him, and how, of all people, only The Other comprehended his sorrow. How The Other was truly remorseful for what he had done, because he understood its impact on Timmy, and only wished to help him. He showed him, bending the truth, that he only had his best intentions at heart, and how he had helped his parents gain their forms. He had raised them from the dead because he realized he had done wrong, and wanted to help Timmy be happy again. Timmy was confused, he was hurt by Cosmo and Wanda continually telling him to avoid his parents when they were all he'd ever wanted, and he just wanted to be a child again.

The Other could help him again. He only had to make a little switch. Just a little cut.

Timmy stared up at him and he wanted to hope, he wanted to believe so badly that The Other had changed. More than anything, he longed for his parents back. The Other didn't think Timmy truly realized what it was he asked of him, but that was all right. Once he had enough energy, he'd be able to befuddle Timmy's mind and mold him into a perfect killer.

"What do you say?" The Other asked. "Just a little cut, Timmy. Then you'll have your parents back and everything will be right with the world."

"You're really on my side?" Timmy said, dubious but siding with his anti faerie. "You'll help me?"

"Of course," The Other said. "Would I lie?"

"Yes!" Tootie snapped and The Other and Timmy whirled, turning to gawk at the stairs. Tootie stood there, fists balled, glaring out at them with fury written in every line of her face. "He's _insane_, damn you! How can you trust a madman? How can you even _think _of killing Cosmo and Wanda?"

"Without them...I can get my parents back..." Timmy said. Lorenzo knew he was still trying to figure out a way around this, to keep Cosmo and Wanda without killing them, but that was all right. He was cottoning on.

((Timmy, listen to me! Please, tell me you won't do this. Tell me you love Cosmo and Wanda.))

Lorenzo spied a strange bulge in her skirt. The tape clicked and he moved quickly, dashing to the stairs. Tootie fled backward, ascending the stairs. Growing irritated, he took the stairs two at a time and barricaded the door. He could feel Tootie's fear, longed to feed off it, but could only truly feed off his sire.

"Give me the tape," he snarled.

"No," she said. "Timmy, how could you listen to him!"

Timmy, notoriously slow, hadn't reached the stairway yet. The Other glared and reached into her skirt to grab the tape recorder. She kicked him in the groin and sent him flying backward. He caught himself on the banister and reeled, falling onto the mat and clutching himself. Timmy stared at his anti faerie, and then at Tootie, receding in the distance.

"I told you..." The Other wheezed. "Women lie....why else would she...hide herself like that?"

* * *

Tootie ran as fast as she could, as hard as she could, until her legs crumpled under her. Then, cradling the tape recorder to her like a precious jewel, she stared up at the sky. She was on the middle school's far grounds, near the street, and could hear the cars rushing by. She was to the far right of the baseball diamond, but there was no practice today. Her chest burned and her legs felt weak. More than that, however, she was so stunned she could barely think straight.

"Cosmo! Wanda! Cal!" she cried. She laid back on the grass and worked to recover her breath. A couple minutes passed and she wondered whether Cosmo and Wanda would answer _her _call, when she was not their godchild.

Cal appeared first, floating above her and then switching to float outside down to stare at her. "Tootie, what's wrong?"

Cosmo and Wanda appeared next, confused.

"You called us?" Wanda said.

"We thought..." Cosmo frowned. "Timmy's not with you."

"You need to listen to this," she said, and, fumbling, removed the tape recorder. Listening to it again was horrifying, but worse than that, the way Cosmo and Wanda plummeted out of the air and stared, like zombies, ahead of them. Cal inclined his head at them, his display of anxiety, and Wanda held Cosmo so tightly she left red fingernail marks on his face.

A faint shimmer covered the air and colors oscillated from the tape recorder to the faeries. Wanda snarled, hands balled, and released Cosmo.

"Depraved, craven liar!" she screamed."How could he deceive Timmy like that!"

"I don't understand..." Tootie said.

"We'll explain to you once Wanda's over her homicidal rage," Cosmo said and stepped a couple paces away from his wife. "Scary."

The tape finished at long last and Wanda swore. Cosmo flinched and Cal grimaced. Such impropriety never sat well with him.

"We received mental images of what The Other told Timmy," Wanda said, inhaling and exhaling shakily. "He's bamboozled our godson well."

"What are we going to do?" Tootie asked.

Wanda sighed, aggravated. "Hope there's a way to undo The Other's teachings before it's too late."


	9. Only Freshmen

Author's Note: This chapter compiles the original chapters nine and ten. I found chapter nine especially had too much filler, enough to rend it useless, so the first scene contains the only useful information it provided. Chapter ten I thought a little better, but not by much, so this is a complete rewrite.

The only remaining paragraphs are Lorenzo's note to Tootie after Cal's death. A little note- Lorenzo's "muse", as it will, had a lot of problems with this rewrite, since Cal is based off his lover.

Throughout this rewrite, I've striven to make TOS tighter and provide more answers to the why of what's going on. It struck me as strange for certain things to happen with flimsy basis, and so, I added on. I hope, for whomever's reading this, that they appreciate the effort going into it. :)

Chapter Nine: Only Freshmen

Timmy left school in a quagmire. He even allowed himself to be corralled by A.J. and Chester into sitting beside them. What The Other proposed was ludicrous. How could he commit murder, much less murder Cosmo and Wanda? His stomach ought to be curdling at the thought. He ought to be recoiling in horror and retreating to his house for safety. Yet the niggling thought remained. He craved his parents.

When they were alive, they'd never had time for him. Now, in death, they had nothing to do but pay attention. He was almost happy enough to lose his godparents, which, in a subconscious way, he thought he might have wanted from the beginning. He wanted his parents to pay attention to him, for Vicky to be a non entity in his life, and for everything to wrap up nicely. Here was the chance and he ought to seize it. The Other seemed like he was telling the truth, and had showed him mentally his remorse.

The bus stopped and Timmy moved stiffly, like a robot, to the exit. He wasn't surprised to discover pink and green animals on the lawn waiting for him. He didn't acknowledge them; instead, he entered the house and was also unsurprised to found Cosmo and Wanda in their true forms floating before him. Cosmo was crying and Wanda was doing her best to keep it together. She folded her arms across her chest and stared.

"Tootie told me what happened with The Other earlier," Wanda said. "You can't be seriously considering this."

There was a large mental block in his mind, obfuscating his thinking, and he said, "You're in my way. Are my parents up there?"

"Your parents this, your parents that," Cosmo spat and burst into tears anew. "You'd think we were already dead."

Wanda hugged Timmy and Timmy kept his arms at his sides. She frowned and stroked his hair. Timmy acted like she wasn't even there and became aware of Tootie behind him. Wanda released him and he turned to face the kindred spirit, the one who shared telepathy with him. The Other's contempt and disregard for her filled him.

"Hello, Timmy," she said. "How was school?"

He didn't ask how she'd gotten home before him. Then again, Cal had probably taken her. It didn't matter to him. He shrugged it off. Instead, he gazed at the stairs and Tootie yanked him by the collar to look at her again. His glance went right through her.

"You need to listen to us," Wanda said. "I know you haven't been listening-"

"-all summer-" Cosmo interrupted. He turned into a record player and began to skip. Timmy let The Other's coldness fill him. He tugged his shirt out of Tootie's grasp and Tootie snagged his sleeve again. Her lower lip curled.

"Like it or not, even if I have to tie you to a chair, you will listen to us," she said.

"Tried that before," Cosmo interjected. "It didn't work."

"Timmy, anti faeries can lie mind to mind," Wanda said. Timmy gawked at her and doubt trickled in. He faltered.

"What?" he said. "The Other didn't mention that."

Cosmo snorted. "Of course he didn't. He's the bad guy."

"Anti faeries have always had greater mental ability than we faeries," Wanda said. "It was a trade off. Anti faeries don't normally have telepathy, but they manipulate the mind."

"Lorenzo can lie to me?" Timmy stared at Wanda. "But…you can't lie in telepathy."

She frowned. "There's a difference between lying…and bending the truth. You can't lie mind to mind, but you can say things you _believe _true, regardless of whether they're actually true."

Timmy was stunned. The Other had warned him Wanda might lie, but now he didn't know who to believe. He wanted his parents back and he wanted to be a child again. His lower lip quivered and he sank onto the couch. Cosmo and Wanda joined him and Tootie sat on his right side, his faeries on his left.

"So if I said Wanda was hot in telepathy…" Cosmo said and grinned from ear to ear. Timmy and Tootie gave him strange looks and Wanda smirked.

"I'd appreciate the compliment, but it wouldn't make it true for someone like, say, Vicky, who would disagree," Wanda said. "Do you understand?"

Timmy frowned. He was still befuddled. The Other's opinions and mental persuasion lingered and he wanted to think things through, which was strange enough on its own to be remarkable. Wanda and Cosmo had always been loving, and Tootie wanted to help, though she was out of her element here. Surely his godparents hadn't been warning him for months without just cause. By the same token…he wanted to believe The Other, because it eased the hurt and loneliness inside him.

Tootie squeezed his hand and he thought of Lorenzo. Compared to his godparents, The Other was a powerhouse. Anti Cosmo had helped Cosmo once, hadn't he? True, he'd needed to be captured, but he'd still helped. There had to be other cases where anti faeries had changes of heart and decided to help their counterparts. Unless, of course, they'd lied about helping them and rescinded the offer.

He closed his eyes and contemplated his link with The Other. The Other was waiting, ready and willing to listen to him. There was openness, a sense of listening.

((You wanted me?))

((Wanda said you can lie mind to mind.))

The Other laughed. ((I told you not to listen to her.))

((But…you've never done anything but make my life miserable. Why should I trust you?))

((Has Wanda ever lied to you?))

((I don't know. Maybe.))

((No one tells the truth all the time. I am trying my best. I am trying to make you see your godparents are a crutch, and you can have what you truly want, if you only listen to me.))

((I want to believe you…)) he hesitated and The Other nudged his mind. Timmy relaxed and The Other smiled.

((Then believe me.))

Timmy smiled back, slumping on the couch. It really could be as easy as that, handing off control and letting The Other make his decisions for him. Energy escaped his body in tiny blue bursts and Timmy reclined, utterly at peace. He'd believe him.

* * *

The Other detested lateness. He considered punctuality crucial. Scowling, he consulted his pocket watch, an old faerie relic he'd stolen along with the transistor from the armory, and gritted his teeth. The pocket watch was golden, with runes he didn't recognize, and had to date back to medieval times. Its chain was fastened to his trousers, and, for once, The Other had dressed up. He wore black pinstriped pants, and a white linen dress shirt with ruffles. His hair was slicked back and he had used glamour to decrease its length.

Their meeting was supposed to be for seven o'clock on the dot. He'd give Crocker a few more minutes, and then leave to begin his plans to bring Timmy to the manor. This was a waste of time, anyway, but Crocker's faerie obsession might help him with Cosmo and Wanda. He knew Crocker detested Timmy, and it was a good idea to keep an insane crackpot close to him, in case he tried anything with his sire. The theory had sounded good, and yet, seven fifteen and the guy hadn't shown up yet. Lorenzo gritted his teeth.

He checked his watch again- a half minute had passed. He paced back and forth in front of Il Maestro. In front of the restaurant, there were painted white iron tables with uncomfortable wire chairs in front of them. One was pushed up on each side against the black icon fence running around the restaurant's edges, followed by two more near the main walkway, which Lorenzo kept passing. The restaurant itself was a modest Italian eatery, looking like it belonged in a villa. It had red stucco brick for the roof and a waiter wearing a black suit watched The Other throttle his nerves. It was supposed to be a formal affair, and tended to be popular for dates. A woman in a taffeta gown and white gloves walked by him with her date in a three piece suit. He ignored them, and they ignored him.

Brakes squealed and he looked up to the parking lot. They had a valet, but apparently, Crocker had bypassed him. His van screeched upon pulling into the space and The Other slapped a palm to his face. To a formal restaurant, rather than borrow his mother's car, which would have been only somewhat offensive, he'd taken the faerie hunting van. The damn thing was an eyesore. Again, The Other thought maybe he ought to up and leave, because this was preposterous.

Crocker bounced out of the car wearing a white suit and his lip curled. He'd dressed the part, despite being (he consulted his watch again) nearly seventeen minutes late. He bounced all the way to the front gate and the waiter sniffed in disdain.

"I share the sentiment," Lorenzo muttered.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Crocker said. "Mother said I was crazy to join up with someone who looks like a multiple murderer."

Lorenzo eyed him. "You listened to her? You, a grown man. I would expect this out of a boy, but a man?"

"Mother has a lot of weight," he said defensively. "I live with her."

The Other sighed and pinched his nostrils. "You might as well join me for dinner. I believe, regardless of your living situation and questionable practices, we might have much to discuss."

* * *

Tootie couldn't concentrate on her Chemistry homework. Instead, her mind drifted to Timmy and Lorenzo. Timmy had retired to his room to play video games with his parents. He'd banished Cosmo and Wanda from his room and, rather than be alone, they had joined her in her room. Wanda was reading a book and Cosmo was leafing through a comic book. None of them seemed capable of focusing, because Wanda scanned the same page multiple times and Cosmo had started and stopped five times already.

"If The Other can lie mind to mind, why does Timmy believe him?" she asked.

"Sometimes, when you're desperate, you'll believe anything," Wanda said softly. She gnawed her lip.

"But he loves you guys deep down," Tootie protested. "I know he does."

"I think," Wanda said quietly, "Timmy has forgotten."

* * *

"Faeries _are _real," Crocker cried and slapped his knee. "I knew it! I knew-"

The Other covered his mouth and rolled his eyes, sighing. "Please don't cause a scene. Yes, faeries are real, but if you scream it to the heavens, not only will everyone in this restaurant think us mad, they'll probably forcefully eject us."

He removed his hand from Crocker's mouth and the older man, slightly put out, stared at him. Lorenzo's breath hitched- Timmy's history was interwoven with this man. Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda had impacted him. In fact, he could almost see old faerie dust clinging to him. He wondered if the man recalled any of his old affection toward his godparents. Didn't he have the faintest clue he was hunting the very creatures who had once wanted to help him?

"Do you want to hunt them with me?" Crocker bounced in his seat, giddy. They were seated inside, because the iron made Lorenzo uneasy, and in a back booth. From here, they could see the grand chandeliers and waiters and waitresses gliding through the restaurant. He could also distantly see the dessert case- not that he wanted any. He hadn't eaten more than a few bites throughout dinner, since he didn't need to eat.

"In a way, yes," he said. "We both acknowledge Timmy Turner has faeries. I plan on dealing with those faeries in my own way, but for that, I need your help."

_You would best serve me by staying out of my way._

Crocker looked like Christmas had arrived early. His whole face lit up and he beamed from ear to ear. His eyes danced and The Other had to grab him by the wrist to prevent him from skipping about. The excitement was palpable and The Other drank it in, feeding off him like he did indirectly off Cosmo, Wanda, and Timmy.

"You want _my _help?" Crocker said. "No one's ever said that to me before! What do you want me to do? I'll do anything to help hunt…" He paused and then spazzed. "FAERIES!"

"Yes, yes," The Other said and refrained from rolling his eyes. "Here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

Tootie insisted on walking Timmy to school the next day with Cosmo, Wanda, and Cal at their sides. Thanks to magically enhanced shoes, they could walk to school without fear of being late. Timmy hadn't wanted to go, but he was lethargic, unable to think for a few seconds at a time and stumbling. He'd slept enough, too- he didn't understand where the energy was going. Tootie grabbed his arm and he scowled- he just wanted to be with his parents, but they'd disappeared again this morning.

"What do you think will happen once you kill your godparents?" Tootie asked. Cosmo and Wanda flinched, transformed into butterflies above Timmy's head. Cal had changed in a shoulder bag on Tootie's left shoulder.

"I'll get my parents back," Timmy said and paused. He didn't want to kill them, not really. He looked up at his godparents and shook off the fugue they incited. Their eyes had glowed and he remembered all the good times they'd had together, all the love they had for him, and it unsettled Lorenzo's instilled state of mind. He swallowed.

"And after?" Tootie prompted. "When The Other tricks you and you lost your parents _and _your godparents?"

"It won't happen," Timmy said. Uncertainty swirled in his thoughts and he avoided looking at his godparents and Tootie.

"We've been saying it for months, and I know you don't want to hear it, but The Other is tricking you," she said. "Look how weak Cosmo and Wanda are now. They've never been like this."

"So?" Timmy countered. "They've always been weak."

"They've wielded all the power in the universe!" Tootie countered. "And it didn't strike you as a little strange that all of a sudden, a faerie that could _sink Atlantis _can't stand up against a human Anti Faerie?"

"What's your point?" Timmy said. They walked about fifteen miles an hour and Cosmo and Wanda projected a screen, to prevent humans from becoming suspicious. It looked like they had become part of the scenery to anyone else.

Tootie hissed. "Wanda killed all the dinosaurs. Cosmo destroyed Atlantis, made Pompeii erupt, and the two of them helped start World War One! They have phenomenal cosmic power and all of a sudden, they'd being outranked?"

"Jorgen's always been more powerful than them," Timmy retorted.

"Actually, when Cosmo isn't trying, he's stronger than Jorgen," Wanda remarked quietly.

"So what?" Timmy snapped. "Maybe The Other's always been more powerful than them. Maybe it's because they're so pathetic and useless."

"We are not useless!" Wanda snapped, offended. A bird got caught in their zip stream and squawked, crashing into a tree thanks to the increased air pressure it hadn't anticipated.

"I could squash The Other down like a bug inside you a few months ago!" Tootie snapped, losing patience. "All I had to do was hold your goddamn hand and now, all of a sudden, he's walking around slamming Cosmo and Wanda into walls and beating the crap out of them! Meanwhile, your parents are getting more and more solid, more real, and Cosmo and Wanda are getting weaker and you don't see the connection!"

He sensed The Other listening in on their conversation and smiled, relaxing and yet feeling strange, not quite himself.

"No, I don't!" Timmy retorted. "You're crazy, Tootie."

"_I'm _crazy?" she growled. "You're the one who thinks murdering his faerie godparents is going to bring back the parents back that your anti faerie killed! The same anti faerie who is now promising to be 'good' and make all your wishes come true."

((I do not like this girl,)) Lorenzo growled in his head. ((She is growing rather tiresome for my tastes. She needs to be punished.))

((Punished?)) Timmy sent. ((Punished how?))

((You'll see.))

"He'll bring them back," Timmy said.

"At what cost?" Tootie snapped. "Timmy, goddamn it, _listen to me_! Is it worth it? They love you. They were sent here to make you a little less miserable. How can you betray them like this?"

"It's not a betrayal!" Timmy said stoutly.

"Yes," Tootie said quietly, "it is. They love you and you're going to hurt them because of it. You're a traitor, Timmy Turner."

* * *

Hours passed. The Other skipped lunch in order to visit Timmy's house. There he discovered Calente, sleeping soundly and curled up in a ball on Tootie's bed. His chest rose and fell gracefully and he seemed utterly oblivious to the danger surrounding him. The Other dug his knife under the flesh beneath Cal's neck and he jerked, waking instantly. The Other smiled.

"You're going to leave Tootie a nice present after she comes home from school."

Cal screamed, reaching for his wand, which The Other twirled on his fingers. It was as he'd always suspected. Faerie blood sparkled.

* * *

"No," Timmy snapped. "I'm sick of your shit."

They'd halted outside of school. Tootie had gone home already, unable to quell panic rising within her chest when Cal hadn't answered her summons. Meanwhile, Cosmo and Wanda were having yet another argument with their godson. To facilitate it, and to prevent more people from thinking he was crazy, they'd shifted into children his age. It hadn't made it easier, however- it seemed to have made Timmy more vicious.

"Watch your mouth!" Wanda retorted. All day long, Timmy had wandered in a fog and Wanda had sensed The Other subtly shifting his judgment and thinking patterns to his refrain. They'd followed him and attempted speaking to him, but it wasn't until afterschool he finally acknowledged them, if screaming at them could be construed as 'acknowledging them'.

"Why should I?" Timmy countered. "Why should I listen to a word you say when you both lied to my face?"

"We have never lied to you!" Wanda said, puffing her chest up.

"The Other said-"

"The Other this, The Other that," Cosmo growled. "Why don't you just marry him?"

"There's a way to restore my parents using magic and you didn't want to do it," Timmy snapped. "And their deaths are your fault anyway. Why the hell should I listen to a word you say when you're both fucking useless wastes?"

"Death muffins are forbidden," Wanda growled. "Jorgen has made it his personal mission to find any faerie who attempts to make it and incarcerate them for the rest of their lifetime."

"Faeries are immortal," Cosmo said. "That's a lot of years."

"And he's hidden the recipe," Wanda said. "Anything else impossible you'd like to ask for?"

"If you really cared about me, you'd want to make me happy," Timmy said treacherously.

"We want to make you happy, but we can't do everything, damn it!" Wanda snapped and startled Cosmo. He jerked, staring at her, and touched her hand.

((Wanda? You cursed…))

"The Other can bring my parents back," Timmy said. "You can't. You don't want to make me happy. You just want me to yourselves because you're jealous."

Wanda exploded. "Listen to me, you spoiled brat! We've told you time and time again that it has nothing to do with jealousy or resentment and that we love you, but you choose not to hear it. It's not our goddamn fault that you choose to create your own reality instead of living in ours! Grow the fuck up, Timmy."

Cosmo looked like she'd smacked him over the head with a skillet. Timmy's mouth dropped and it pierced the mental fog he'd had all day. He gaped at her and his lips quivered.

"Wanda?" he squeaked. "You just…"

"Cursed…" Cosmo stared at her. "You never swear."

Timmy stared at her too. He seemed thunderstruck. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His eyes widened at her.

"Don't you have anything to say to me?" she growled. "Any more backtalk? Any more insults or cruelty? Care to hit us again?"

She radiated fury and Timmy unconsciously took a step back. In the back of her mind, she could feel herself unconsciously groping for a backup power source, and recalled she was distantly related to an anti faerie through her father. Black magic trickled in with the light power and Cosmo winced, stepping back too. Malevolence mingled into and she didn't want to do this, she did _not _want to intimidate her godchild, but what choice had he left her?

"I…" he paused and froze. His expression glazed over and two things happened at once. Distantly, Wanda sensed a faerie dying, like a disturbance in the magical equilibrium, and then she heard Tootie's mental anguished shriek.

"Oh, no…" Wanda breathed.

* * *

Tootie had walked into her room expecting to start homework and never finish. Instead, the carpet squished beneath her feet and she looked up, staring at her blood. It was soaked with blood, sparkling shimmering blood, and Cal's throat had not only been slashed, but torn open. She could see his neck bones wet and gleaming under the fluorescent lights. Tootie fell over backward and screamed.

((Timmy!))

On the door was taped a note and, fingers shaking, she groped for it. Her gut clenched and she thought she might vomit. Blood coated everything- her bed, her dresser, table, closet door…it seemed the murderer had decided to paint by numbers and soak everything in sight.

_Blood, blood everywhere and not a drop to drink. Cheers, Tootie._

_Love,_

_Lorenzo DeMedici_

_P.S. Such is the albatross, such is the sacrificial lamb_

((Timmy! Timmy, _please_! I need you!))

There was no response.


	10. That Old Black Magic

Chapter Ten: That Old Black Magic

"Guys, what's going on?" Timmy asked. Cosmo and Wanda blanched, clutching each other tightly, and he sensed the telepathy between them. It was a light buzz drifting past his mind, and Wanda gulped down air like it was going out of style. Cosmo followed suit and they consulted their wands. Timmy advanced and they recoiled, staring up at him with huge set eyes. Their fear lapped against his mind and his heart quickened in response.

"Sport, we have to go home," Wanda said. "Right now."

((What's the rush?)) The Other said softly. ((There's nothing to worry about.))

He caressed Timmy's mind and sent him images of his parents waiting for him. A breeze pushed away Cosmo and Wanda's concern, and replaced it with tranquility. His body relaxed and he smiled, oblivious to his godparents. The Other wanted him to join him at the manor. There should be no reason why not. After all, Lorenzo only wanted was best for him, and if he didn't, why would he have his parents there? His parents were idiots, but they wouldn't pair up with a homicidal maniac. Timmy started forward and Wanda grabbed him.

((Timmy! Timmy, please!)) Tootie sobbed inside his head and Timmy blinked. The Other pushed her out of his mind too, like she was nothing, and Wanda frowned.

"Timmy, Cal's dead," Wanda said. "You have to come back with us."

"Why?" Timmy said, acting as The Other's mouthpiece. "Can't you transport me without my permission?"

"Not…" Wanda paused. "Anymore."

Cosmo shook his wand. "Yeah, there's something wrong with our wands. It's like they're not putting out enough juice."

The Other laughed harshly in Timmy's mind and renewed the summoning. Timmy put one foot in front of the other and Wanda locked his feet to render him immobile. The Other waved his hand, visible in Timmy's mind's eye, and shoved Wanda aside like she was nothing. He crackled with power, brown faerie power, and Timmy's heart rate quickened again. He'd fed off Cal's death and had his strength now. With a simple shove, he drove Cosmo and Wanda twenty feet away from their godchild.

"Timmy!" Wanda said.

"Then go," he said, his whole body shaking. The Other had abdicated his body to control his, and it felt like he'd zapped it with electricity. Even his eyes jumped, and his teeth chattered. In the back of his mind, he sensed The Other's intentions were less than innocent. Their wings reappeared and fluttered like mad, but they remained mostly human. Timmy's concerns were gone, though he had never seen his godparents this agitated.

"You need to come with us and see this," Wanda said.

((Timmy!)) Tootie shrieked.

"Yeah, in case you thought The Other had gone good without our knowing," Cosmo said.

"He killed Cal," Wanda said. "Nothing natural could have done it."

"Killed…" Dull horror settled in, until The Other resolutely moved it away. Again, calmness replaced it and he found it impossible to be upset. Calente was dead. No big loss. There were other plans in motion, and he had a duty to see The Other's plots through. He started walking again and this time, his godparents and Tootie screamed at him, both in his head and aloud.

"Timmy, wish us back, at least!" Wanda said.

"The Other's locked our powers so we can't move!" Cosmo said. "We can't even change back!"

"Fine, I wish you were with Tootie and you had some of your useless powers back," Timmy said and walked again. The Other laughed in his mind and Timmy smiled, not a care in the world.

Wanda reached for him and The Other slapped her away.

"Not him," Timmy said, acting as puppet for his anti faerie. "Timmy is mine, frach. Back off."

Wanda's eyes narrowed and Timmy could see faerie dust swirling around his godparents. Both advanced, Cosmo glaring at him, and The Other sneered. He mapped out the critical body parts, and how a certain injury in a given location would render them dead or severely injured. Timmy flinched, sensing their distress, and tried to fight his way back to the forefront. This was his body, after all, not The Other's. Except…The Other was stronger than him _and _his faeries. Panic set in. The Other wasn't going to help him, was he? Perhaps Cosmo and Wanda had been right all along.

"Timmy, you're in here," Wanda said. "I know you are. Listen to me, sport. You have to see what Lorenzo did. _You_ _have to listen to us_."

_I __**am **__listening, Wanda…I just can't say anything now_, he thought desperately, unable to project it. Tootie's wails reached him distantly.

"Unless you'd rather go be with your 'cool' anti faerie," Cosmo snapped.

"I'm taking what's mine," Lorenzo announced. "Don't follow me."

Wanda raised her wand and, barely lifting a finger, Lorenzo repelled her magic. She snarled, hair briefly turning to flame, and then fizzing out. Her eyes widened and she stared, not at Timmy, but through him to a projection above him. The Other superimposed himself over his sire, and scowled at the faeries. Cosmo jumped, latching onto Wanda, who scowled at the projection.

"And _we _are taking what's ours," Wanda snarled. "Give us Timmy back."

"Timmy doesn't want you. You stole his parents from him and lied to him. You helped ruin his life. You're worthless to him now."

"But, but, we didn't mean it!" Wanda protested.

"Yeah, we didn't know how the wish would turn out," Cosmo said.

"You knew," The Other intoned. "You always knew. You wanted to see him hurt. You wanted to see him suffer, for all the times he abused him."

"No!" Wanda said. "We understand he's just a child."

"Kids make all sorts of stupid wishes," Cosmo said.

"Stupid wishes that happen to get his parents killed?" Lorenzo mocked. "Stupid wishes that rape his babysitter and destroy his life?"

"We told you before-"Wanda started and Cosmo joined in, "We didn't know!"

The Other infused Timmy with his cold logic and reasoning. It blew over the doubt and anxiety trickling through him and left a tiny flickering flame. Behind Lorenzo's lies, a minute aspect wanted his godparents more than ever. However, it ceased to be important. Timmy stared at his godparents and wanted them to leave him alone. He curled his lip in disdain. The projection vanished with a sneer.

"Come with us," Wanda said.

"No," Timmy said. "He's right. You always let me wish things that backfired, just to teach me a 'lesson'. You always knew. You're supposed to know. You failed me. You let this happen."

"No!" they protested. "Timmy, he's lying to you!"

"Or maybe he's always told the truth, from the beginning," Timmy said in a dull voice.

"Why would someone-"Wanda stopped and stiffened. "Please, just come with us. I don't want to argue."

"We can't drag you by force like we should," Cosmo said.

"If Lorenzo killed Cal, he deserved it," Timmy said in a cold, emotionless voice. "He needed the power to bring back my parents. That's why he's gotten so strong. He needs to be able to revive my parents. And one more burst should do it."

"Two wrongs don't make a right," Wanda said. Timmy looked to Cosmo for the joke, but he kept his mouth shut. He had blanched and his fingers dug into Wanda's arm. Cosmo was no good at the serious stuff. And Wanda was a liar, a fucking frach. Fury filled him and he glared at his godparents.

"Get away from me," he said.

"One more chance, that's all we're asking," she said. She was pleading now, her eyes shimmering with tears and the effort to stay away from Tootie, whose voice now echoed in the empty schoolyard. She had the gift to call them now too. Fine, perhaps they should be her godparents. They deserved each other. Timmy turned and began to walk away; Cosmo and Wanda shifted into cats and followed him.

"You don't have to do anything, or say anything. Come with us," she whispered.

"Unless you're too chicken," Cosmo said.

"I hate you," he spat. "I hate your weakness, I hate how pathetic you are, and I hate how you're always clinging to me. I wish you'd go to Tootie and Cal's dead body, and leave me the hell alone. That's an order."

Cosmo and Wanda gawked. Cosmo's lower lip quivered, but whereas Cosmo had gone to the opposite extreme, no emotions flitted across Wanda's face whatsoever. Timmy, despite his harsh words, stepped back. Big Daddy's cold, monstrous face stared back at him through his daughter. This Wanda could hurt him and think nothing of it, dangerous in a way he'd seldom encountered, and never directed at him. His mouth hung slightly open.

"We've been with you for years, Timmy," she said. "We've spent the last few months listening to you treat us like dirt and think it's acceptable. We know you want your parents back and we've tried to be understanding. We've done our best to stay out of your way and let you be happy, except when we thought you might be in danger. We tried to protect you and love you, no matter how difficult you've made it.

"Now, you've chosen to align yourself with a murderer rather than your godparents, who have _never _intentionally harmed you. We have _never _meant for you to suffer and yet, you refuse to believe it," she said and the cold look disappeared. Tears glimmered in her eyes. "We love you, Timmy. But you don't love us. We're going where we're needed since you've made it abundantly clear you can't stand our company."

"You big jerk," Cosmo added.

"Since when," she asked and the façade slipped entirely, a tear sliding down her cheek, "has it ever been us against you? When have we ever done anything but love you?"

They disappeared, scattering faerie dust in their wake. The Other's resentment swirled through him, but the little rebellious flicker set off sparks at Wanda's words. It brought to mind Tootie- "_since when has it ever been you against Cosmo and Wanda?"_ Lorenzo had told him he had to punish Tootie, and then Cal was dead. His heart felt heavy, but The Other had the perfect cure for him. One foot in front of the other, and, in about thirty minutes, he'd be at the manor.

* * *

A few minutes earlier…

"Goddamn it!" Vicky snarled, playing tug of war with her little sister. Tootie had grabbed a rather large butcher knife and, beside herself, yearned to stab herself with it. She cried so hard she couldn't see, longing for Timmy and comfort, and hating everything about her life right now. Her parents were dead. She was stuck with Vicky, her only living relative, and Timmy was being manipulated by an evil anti faerie. Cosmo and Wanda weren't hers anyway, and the only light in her life didn't give a damn about her, in fact gave a damn less than usual. Cal had been the only decent thing in her life aside from Timmy, and The Other had killed him to teach her a lesson about meddling with him. Tootie sobbed harder, desperate to retrieve the blade from Vicky.

"Give it to me!" Tootie wailed and Vicky elbowed her in the ribs. Tootie screamed and clawed Vicky's eyes; Vicky kicked her in the stomach. Tootie flew back into the hallway, away from the accursed room, and screeched, ignoring the physical pain to slam her into the wall. The height difference didn't matter. Vicky was in her way. She saw everything, what little she saw through tears, in a red haze. The Other was blocking Timmy from her and she grabbed Vicky's legs with both hands. She wrenched the leg out of its socket and Vicky screamed, punching her in the head.

"Let go of me, you little shit!" Vicky screamed and Tootie saw her opportunity. Vicky collapsed, the leg no longer holding her weight, and Tootie launched herself at the butcher knife. Vicky twisted her arm, putting the knife behind her back, and Tootie punched her in the stomach. Vicky brought both fists down on Tootie's head, forgetting about the knife, and she slashed her hand grabbing the blade. A deep gash developed in her hand and blood gushed down her arm. The pain was a relief, comforting, and, as Timmy would grow to learn, a distraction from the emotional pain threatening to consume her. She reached again, her hand getting slashed to ribbons, and Vicky kicked her in the back. Tootie threw her hands out and blood soaked the carpet. Galvanized, she spun around and tried yet again.

"Give up, damn you!" she screamed. "I'm not losing you to the twerp too!"

Tootie wailed and launched another attack, leaving Vicky to weave and dodge her. She fought like a woman possessed, doing everything within her power to deepen the gash. Blood coated her and Vicky, who was trying to hold her down. Finally, Vicky pile drove her into the rug and there Tootie remained, crying so hard she couldn't breathe and hating Vicky more passionately than she had ever thought possible.

"Let me do it! Give me the knife! Give me the knife!" she sobbed.

"Never," Vicky hissed. "You are all I have left. You are _mine_."

"I don't want to be yours. I want Timmy…" She hyperventilated, unable to draw enough breath, and Vicky watched, dispassionate. Tootie hoped her leg was killing her.

"Cosmo…Wanda…" Tootie whimpered. "Bring Cal back…"

Vicky stared at her. Tootie rubbed her palm against the rug to open the gash further and thought of Cal's body, torn apart savagely, bones gleaming. His throat had been ripped out, clothes soaked with sparkling blood, and lacerations covering his body. He'd carved his initials into Cal's face and bile rose in her throat. She choked and Vicky whacked her in the back of her head.

"I wish I were dead…" Tootie whimpered.

Vicky sighed and flung the knife down the stairs. Tootie swallowed hard and calmed herself through sheer effort. If she didn't calm down, Vicky wouldn't leave her alone, and Vicky was crushing her. Plus, if she pretended enough, perhaps Vicky would let her retrieve the knife. The knife had become the sheer bright spot in her life.

But Cosmo and Wanda belonged to Timmy. They were the closest thing she had to him now. Without asking, without trying to contact him, she knew they had a lost cause. His faeries were welcome to try again, but Tootie knew better. Timmy had gone over to The Other, and he wouldn't return until he'd achieved his goal. The Other hated Tootie; Timmy would agree with him. She hung her head and moaned.

"Are you done?" Vicky hissed.

"What was that?" Tootie said and straightened, as much as she could, with Vicky sitting on her back. Two white shapes whipped through the house and sent cold air in their wake. "Mr. and Mrs. Turner?"

"Why would they be here?" Vicky scoffed. "Timmy's out with his stupid faeries."

"I don't know…" Tootie said. She wished she could pick up the blade with her mind. The only mental power she had failed, thanks to Lorenzo, and she distantly, as if from another world, received something from another source. It puzzled her – before now, she'd thought only Timmy could share emotions with Cosmo and Wanda. They were _his _faeries. Perhaps because she was linked to him and they were linked to her through him…

Nothing she felt from them was encouraging, but it gave her pause. It was almost like fine tuning a remote radio channel- she had to guess at the extent, but it felt like Timmy had broken their hearts. She stared at the rug- she knew the feeling. Vicky shifted her weight on Tootie and she moaned, crying again but nowhere near the hysterical tears she'd shed a few minutes ago.

"Your spine is kinda bony," Vicky observed and got up off her, standing on one leg. Tootie rolled over and stared at her hand. The pain hadn't hit her yet, only the thrill of being able to control something outside in a powerless situation, and she spurted toward the knife. Her older sister swore and jumped on her to prevent her from nabbing it. She landed hard, knocking the breath out of her, and the knife fell down the next step. Eyes watering, Tootie craned to grab it…just an inch more…

Her whole hand brushed the knife edge and she sliced her finger open on the blade. Smiling, she concentrated harder and Vicky snatched the knife up before she had a chance.

"You want this so bad, twerp?" she snapped. "You really want to kill yourself?"

Tootie squirmed out from under and Vicky slapped her across the face. Tootie whimpered; Vicky raised the knife higher, just out of reach. Lower lip quivering, Tootie screamed, "Just let me finish what I started!"

"Tootie!" Cosmo and Wanda snapped and she blinked, looking up. Their wings fluttered nonstop, looking more like hummingbird wings than faerie wings, and they collapsed on the stairwell. Vicky sneered and they ignored her. Wanda held her up her wand to heal them and Cosmo started forward, looking at Tootie's room.

"You'd better not, hun," Wanda said. "I have more experience with this than you. Stay with Tootie." In a cloud, Wanda vanished.

"She tried to kill herself," Vicky snapped. "I hope the twerp is pretty fucking happy."

Cosmo flinched. His green eyes were huge. "Are you okay?"

"Of course she's not okay, you fucking idiot," Vicky snarled. "God, why she'd leave me the incompetent one?"

Cosmo looked completely lost, out of his element, and Tootie squirmed out from under. He held up his wand to free her and she hugged him. The tears came again and Cosmo joined in, crying as if his heart had shattered from Timmy's betrayal. Tootie knew the feeling.

"Pathetic," Vicky sneered. Tootie held on tighter, Cosmo clinging to her like he'd die without her. She could only imagine how he'd hold Wanda when she returned.

* * *

Lorenzo had Timmy where he wanted him. He'd banished the noisome ghosts and locked Timmy into his bedroom. The child had begun shivering, incapable of stopping, and every time Lorenzo left him to think on his own, he thought of his godparents. Therefore, the answer was simple. He pushed Timmy onto the bed and trailed kisses down his cheeks, along his neck, and on the space between his neck and shoulders.

"I love you," he murmured. He wasn't sure whether or not it was true, but it sent delightful chills through his body. He didn't need Timmy's energy, but the less Timmy had, the less capable he was of defending himself. Little blue mists rose off his sire's body and he exalted in his power. It wasn't directly linked to Timmy's anymore- Timmy losing energy now meant he could siphon it off like a large leech. He grinned.

Timmy's eyes were huge and Lorenzo cast more mist into his mind. Clothing flew into a pile on the floor and Lorenzo grinned, finally getting what he'd wanted ever since the idea had occurred to him a couple weeks ago in the janitor's closet. Now, there'd be no faeries to stop him.

"I love you," he whispered again and rubbed his cheek along Timmy's bare chest. "And you are _mine_."

And he'd mark him the only way he knew how. He'd take what was rightfully his.

* * *

Timmy awoke feeling horribly, painfully alone. The Other's arms were wrapped tightly around him and his mind was fogged, too cloudy to fully process this. In the dim morning light, he saw his parents staring back at him. Their mouths were agape and a terrible truth showed in their translucent eyes.

"Mom? Dad?" he whispered.

"We helped him do this…" his mother said, looking like she was about to burst into tears.

"Be gone," Lorenzo said and ran his hands along Timmy's backside. "So, Timmy, how did you enjoy your first night at your new home? It certainly was _magical_, wasn't it?"

Timmy screamed.


	11. Estranged Reality for Strangers

Author's Note: This took longer to write than normal, thanks to distractions abound. I'm pretty sure it came out better than the original, though I feel awful for all the crap I put the faeries, Timmy, and Tootie through.

Also, Vicky getting abused by faeries as a child is now my accepted canon for her current personality. So there.

Chapter Eleven: Estranged Reality for Strangers

It was dangerous for Timmy to walk around without Lorenzo's influence. Before, manipulating him had required equal parts mind control and reinforcing what Timmy already believed. However, after Timmy had realized Lorenzo had taken advantage of him, he no longer seemed keen on his plans. In fact, Timmy had tried to return home and repent. Now that he had his little pet, he had no intention of letting him go.

Timmy longed for his godparents? He had other incentives, ways to subjugate him and force him to do his bidding. Cosmo and Wanda already _knew _The Other wanted them dead. How much sweeter was the betrayal coming from their godchild? With their lack of powers, he was merely toying with them by training Timmy to kill them. The more Timmy hurt them, the more he fed off them and the stronger Timmy's parents grew in turn.

There was no possible way to revive Timmy's parents by murdering Cosmo and Wanda. The only reason Timmy's parents existed in any form at all was because Cosmo and Wanda's magic allowed it. Once Cosmo and Wanda died, his parents would die too. Lorenzo had known it the instant he called them from the grave. No matter what Timmy did, unless he got his hands on a Deathversary muffin, his parents would never be more than this, and would in fact fade away if his relationship with his godparents were restored.

He had no intention of letting Timmy know. The Other _knew _Cosmo and Wanda understood, or strongly suspected, but with his influence overwhelming, no matter how many warnings they issued, Timmy would never listen. He'd become a puppet.

The Other's control over Timmy wasn't perfect. There were gaps, which he was working to eliminate, and his faeries might yet break through. At their current power level, The Other didn't fear them. They'd need far energy to fuel their magic, and the only way to do that was to regain it through one of two sources. Lorenzo wasn't going to galvanize his destruction, and Timmy's parents didn't know Cosmo and Wanda existed.

Or so he thought.

* * *

Cosmo and Wanda wracked their brains. They had no way to transport to Fairy World, and only enough magic to send a message, which Jorgen had chosen to ignore. Anxiety knotted their stomachs- they knew The Other had abused Timmy, because they always knew when their godchildren were in trouble, and they couldn't transport themselves to Lorenzo's mansion. Tootie had cried herself to sleep and nothing they had said impacted her. Da Rules had no aid, Lorenzo's mansion probably held the key to their salvation, and they couldn't reach it in their current feeble state.

"This is pretty pathetic," Wanda spat.

"Damn you, work," Cosmo said and wrung his wand. It smacked him in the face and she sighed.

"It wouldn't be so bad if we could just figure out _why _this is happening," she growled.

"Lorenzo tapped into our magic and has been draining us slowly ever since Timmy's parents reappeared at the beginning of July?" Cosmo suggested. Wanda blinked. "And he's feeding off Timmy even as we speak?"

Wanda gaped. "That was brilliant, Cosmo."

"What was?" he said.

"Never mind," she groaned. "It looks like it's only one way."

"Unless we can get Timmy back on our side," Cosmo said. She massaged her temples. They'd leafed through a hundred pages of Da Rules and discovered outdated rules, but nothing useful. At this point, she had a small desire to fling the book in Timmy's face and see if hitting him with it would negate The Other's magic.

((With the added bonus of head injuries! Yay, head injuries!)) Cosmo teased.

A shadow rippled through the room and they froze, hands flying to their wands. Da Rules vanished in a dust cloud and Wanda narrowed her eyes; the two held out their wands like weapons before them. They didn't sense anything, but given the current clime, she didn't trust her detection abilities. The shadow vanished, they breathed easier, and then, popping up right before them, Mr. and Mrs. Turner appeared. They were opaque now, dark grey, and solid enough to touch. The faeries screamed and, without thinking, blasted them into the wall.

"I told you we should asked first before barging in," Mrs. Turner said. Wanda's heart raced and Cosmo kept shifting, darting from one animal to another without bothering to get any right. She had more composure, though that didn't stop her from shaking. They were dead, she knew they were dead, but that had been one nasty shock. Cosmo was fussing in the corner, having changed into a goldfish and forgetting the water in the tank hadn't been changed in months. He gasped and, grimacing, she drew him back to her in his proper form.

"Wanda, they can see us!" Cosmo whined. "We need to go, now!"

"Cosmo, they're dead! They're not human anymore," she said. ((Calm _down_.))

"Neither are you," Mr. Turner said. "What are you, anyway?"

Wanda straightened her shoulders and stared at Timmy's parents. Her lower lip curled in disdain. These were the idiots Timmy had left them for. She understood Timmy loved them, and they were his real parents, but she couldn't help but resent them for driving the wedge in between them. Their attachment was unnatural to Timmy and they prevented Timmy from moving on. In their dark grey facades, Wanda glimpsed pink and green faerie sparkles and clenched her teeth. She grabbed Cosmo's arm to held him down.

"Can you help us?" Mrs. Turner asked. "We've seen you around Timmy before-"

"And The Other talks about you all the time," Mr. Turner said. Wanda glared.

"I'll bet he does," Wanda spat.

Timmy's parents did a double take. She felt Cosmo's disturbance in the back of her mind, but it was superfluous compared to her severe irritation. Cosmo's eyes widened and she ignored him.

"Now, that's not very nice," Mrs. Turner admonished. "For people who look like weird children, you're being very rude."

"We are not children," Wanda growled. "We're faeries."

"And you have our magick!" Cosmo retorted.

"We do?" Mr. and Mrs. Turner chorused. They stared at each other, and, sighing, Wanda flung pink faerie dust around her and illuminated the dust within Timmy's parents' bodies. Cosmo repeated the process and they waited, expectant. Cosmo quivered and she touched his hand. He jumped, now more afraid of Wanda's anger than Timmy's parents.

"But, how…" they stammered and, groaning, Cosmo and Wanda conjured up a flashing spotlight.

"I'm Cosmo," Cosmo said, zooming to the spotlight.

"And I'm Wanda," she said, and the spotlights illuminated them.

They chorused, "And we're…"

A giant stone sign dropped down from the ceiling. "Timmy's faerie godparents!"

"If you're godparents, then where's your pumpkin carriage?" Mrs. Turner asked.

"Hey, you can't be a faerie," Mr. Turner said to Cosmo. "You're male. Everyone knows there aren't any male faeries."

"I'll show you male-" Cosmo started and Wanda pushed him back.

"Not now," she said. She smirked, amused. "Believe me, he's male. I'd know."

"How?" Cosmo said and Wanda gave him a look. He grinned at her and she grinned back. ((Oh right. Hah, hah.))

"We came to you to ask you for help," Mrs. Turner said. Cosmo and Wanda looked back at them. "The Other's been taking advantage of Timmy."

"We saw him…" Mr. Turner said and flinched. Cosmo and Wanda winced.

"We had a feeling," Wanda confessed. "But you have all our magick. The Other's set it up to weaken us and profit himself. Any influence we might have had over Timmy won't work as long as The Other is controlling him. Without our magick, we can't even get to Timmy."

"And if we did," Cosmo said, "he'd just go right back."

"We've been paging through this book for hours," Wanda said, pointing to Da Rules on the floor. "And haven't found a thing."

"Except, apparently, that it's against Da Rules to be naked in front of your godchild," Cosmo said and shrugged. "Who knew?"

"You want to help him too?" Mrs. Turner said and Wanda exploded, her hair turning into flame.

"Of course we want to help him! We've been trying to help him all summer and he's been fixated on you two!" she said and forced herself to calm down. "And now we don't have enough juice for more than the simplest of spells."

"If we have your power, why can't we help?" Mr. Turner said.

"We'd do anything to get him away from this monster," Mrs. Turner said.

Wanda's anger drained. She and Cosmo drifted down to the bed and though she resented Timmy's parents for their intrusion, she pitied them. Paling, she lifted her head again and stared at them. It felt so strange to be talking to them, after so long of talking about them and in their company without being overheard. Wanda's throat constricted.

"You have our magic," she said. "In the end, you'll have to give it back."

"We're prepared to do that," Timmy's mother said.

"Right now, _we _are what's animating you," Wanda said. "If you help us, we'll need all our powers back. And the only way to get that is take them back through you."

"I don't get it," Mr. Turner said.

"You'd have to die again," Cosmo said.

"And there'd be no return now," Wanda said. "You'd have to break your tethers to us and reality. You'd never be able to see Timmy again."

Their eyes welled with tears and Mrs. Turner uttered a hoarse sob. They broke away from the faeries to discuss it and Wanda lay back on the bed. She couldn't imagine having to make such a decision. Emotionally, they'd already lost Timmy. And, no matter how weak they might be now, they were still alive.

"You know he'll rape Timmy again if he did it once," Wanda said and flinched at her words. Cosmo whimpered and tears burned the inside of her eyelids. She blinked rapidly. "And he's already killed several people, including at least one faerie we know about. Without your help, he'll be able to run unchecked throughout Dimmsdale."

"Then who knows what'll happen?" Cosmo said. Wanda opened her eyes and hugged him tightly.

"That's _it_, Cosmo!"

"What's it?" the three others said in unison.

"If we show Timmy what might happen if The Other gets his way, we can break through to the real him and shatter The Other's powers," Wanda said. She bounced up and down in the first real excitement and happiness she'd felt in months.

"Do you really love him?" Mrs. Turner asked.

"Yes," the faeries answered at once. "Like he were our own son."

"Can we have a few more days with our bodies?" Mr. Turner asked. "Or ghost bodies?"

"It'll take some preparation," Wanda said, grimacing. "If I remember correctly, The What If Spell can only be enacted during the full moon, and on All Hallow's Eve. That's the time when the spirit power and ours are the closest, so you'll be at full keel and we'll be able to borrow any additional power from the dead."

The two ghosts exchanged looks.

"Until then?" Mrs. Turner asked. Wanda sighed.

"Until then, we can try to shake him out on our own," she said. "But he probably won't listen."

"And you can try too," Cosmo said. "Since you have about ¾ of our powers."

"And Lorenzo will just keep hurting Timmy?" Mrs. Turner said sharply.

((You let Vicky do it for years and didn't say a word,)) Wanda snapped.

"At the moment, a rock has a better chance of stopping Lorenzo than we do," she said aloud. "But you're welcome to try."

"And you're sure this will work?" Mrs. Turner said.

They nodded. It wasn't the ideal situation, but she supposed they had no choice but to throw their lot in with Timmy's parents.

* * *

Timmy moved in with Lorenzo and helped him shove away the last remaining ties he had to his family and friends. Cosmo and Wanda could only come if called for, a privilege Timmy seldom invoked, and The Other clouded his mind, corrupting his judgment and hoping Timmy would never have free will long enough to realize Lorenzo was molesting him. As a peace offering, he'd given him Trixie Tang, though Timmy was usually so out of it he didn't recognize her. This suited him fine.

Two days after Timmy had moved in with Lorenzo, Lorenzo began 'practice sessions', teaching Timmy self-defense and, more importantly, assassin techniques. Fairy World's armory had foolishly left a book on the subject lying near the transistor, and Lorenzo was a quick learner. Convenient and stupid, at the same time- that was Fairy World's specialty. At the moment, he was running Timmy through basis exercises since, even with Lorenzo's control, the boy was remarkably uncoordinated.

Every time Timmy successfully completed a move, Lorenzo rewarded him with a pat on the head or a kiss. Every time Timmy screwed up, of which he was doing a remarkable amount, Lorenzo belted him across the face. They had endured three practice sessions so far, one per day often running until midnight, and Timmy hadn't shown much improvement. There was only so much one could do without completely assuming the body's mantle, and certain moves had to be intuitive. Part of the murder had to be the shock factor, but it couldn't be the only component.

Timmy tripped over his own feet in the middle of a lunge and Lorenzo's mood dipped.

"You are trying my patience," he growled. He kicked Timmy back to his feet and, predictably, he fumbled again. Lorenzo clouted him across the face and Timmy stared, stunned, holding his cheek. Snarling, The Other punched him in the face so hard he knew his sire saw stars and wrenched his arm behind his back. Timmy cried out and he scoffed, shoving him to the floor.

"I was not aware you lacked the ability to _walk_," he spat. "Pray tell, how do you get around, aside from shambling like an invalid?"

He kicked Timmy in the back and Timmy choked. Digging his heel into Timmy's back, right next to his spine, he listened to Timmy struggle to breathe correctly. The shock of his treatment had started to wear off the mind control and Timmy twisted his head to stare at him out of the corner of his eye.

"Why are you doing this?" he gasped. A tear leaked out and he rolled him over onto his back, so Timmy could stare up at him.

"You need to _learn_," he snapped. "And your old teachers have been far too lenient."

"But, dude, there's a way to do it without, you know…" he trailed off and swallowed hard. The Other scoffed and scooped Timmy up by his collar. He could feel his fear and fed off it, amplifying it. Timmy whimpered, backing up, blue eyes huge.

"Now, do it again, and do it right, or there will be dire consequences," he snapped. "Are we clear?"

He nodded and his anti faerie scoffed. "Don't cry. Only bitches cry. You are not a weak woman. I never want to see you cry again. If I do, you will be sorry indeed."

Timmy nodded again, throat tight, and wiped his face. Lorenzo set his influence swirling in the younger boy's mind, to prevent him from mutinying, and, for a little while, things went better. Timmy's strokes were more exact, he wasn't tripping over himself, and he was taking things slowly enough not to screw up. He might, given enough practice, become fairly good. The spirit world and the living world lost its Veil on Halloween- it would be the perfect time for Timmy to kill Cosmo and Wanda and for Lorenzo to benefit. Of course, if it were at all possible to revive his parents, Halloween would have been the time too. That gave them exactly…a month and a half. Yes, a month and a half should be ample time to put his plans into motion. He'd waited this long, after all.

Timmy ran at the Cosmo dummy full tilt and tripped over himself. The Other sighed, straightened him, and sent him off again. A couple more mistakes Lorenzo could handle. Should he err further, his temper might rise again.

He slashed the dummy face, rather than the throat like The Other had said, and The Other corrected his grip and technique. His mind drifted again, stroking Timmy's cheek. He hated him and had wanted him to suffer ever since he'd locked him up inside his mind and then cruelly thrust him out. And yet, there was sweetness about him, a wild flower beneath the rudeness and caustic behavior he exhibited. He could almost see himself growing fond of the boy. He wasn't entirely light, this was true, but he was much brighter than Lorenzo. The light attracted the darkness and he wanted nothing more than to corrupt it and make it his.

Phantom hands guided Timmy in the correct movement and Lorenzo's mind wandered. Timmy was so important to so many people. Tootie adored him, though she was unworthy, and ultimately, someone he really should dispose of. She posed a threat, but she didn't have magic like the faeries. He had no idea how much real pull she had, since his only memories of her were Timmy's from long ago, before he cared about her at all.

Cosmo and Wanda thought of Timmy as like their own son. They always considered their godchildren their flesh and blood, and had allowed their emotions to sway them. Perhaps, were he more like their godson, he'd feel compassion toward them. Instead, he was disgusted. They were pathetic and unworthy of Timmy too.

And Timmy's parents…they were only here because they had nothing better to do. Lorenzo sneered.

Timmy withdrew, panting, his face coated in sweat. Lorenzo knelt down and kissed him, tasting his sweat and a tanginess Timmy's alone. Timmy draped his arms on Lorenzo's shoulders and Lorenzo nuzzled his cheeks. His heart skipped a beat and he wanted more of this, not just the closeness, but all of Timmy again. He hugged him and held him closer.

"You've done well," he said and looked up at the dummies. Cosmo dummy's head was hanging by a thread off his cloth neck, and Wanda dummy had no eyes, and numerous stab wounds in the throat. He chuckled and kissed him on the forehead.

"Can we go home?" Timmy asked and he kissed his throat. Timmy stared at him and he siphoned off more energy. Little blue wisps flew off his body and Lorenzo absorbed them. He felt a little light headed at the rush, and he kissed him on the lips again. Using magical coaxing, he convinced Timmy to open his eyes and let them kiss open mouthed. He sighed and lifted him into his arms; the height difference was only a few inches, but he preferred cradling him. Timmy wrapped his arms around Lorenzo's neck and Lorenzo wrapped his around Timmy's waist.

"Take a shower and we'll continue," he said, drinking in more blue wisps and moaning. He gently placed Timmy on the floor and, patting his backside, sent him toward the bathroom. Timmy swayed, dizzy, and The Other watched him go.

He waited, patient, and paced the room. He felt younger, enticed by Timmy's life force, and had a strange curiosity about certain things lying around the room. He also felt lonely, which he supposed was Timmy's emotion at moment, and he buried it beneath mind control.

Timmy changed and redressed, which was a situation Lorenzo would amend in a few minutes. Then he felt it- a disturbance in the magical equation he had set up. Stiffening, he sought out the wrong chord and discovered an offset, but he knew not where. He drew Timmy into his arms and kissed him on the forehead, and then on the lips, but his attention began to stray.

* * *

Lorenzo's mind control was lifting and he could tell his anti faerie was distracted. He was supposed to be helping him, he was on his side…and he was trying to yank his pants down. Plus, his body ached from half remembered blows, and Timmy flinched, jerking away from him. The Other drew him closer, ignoring it, slipped his hands down his pants. Timmy squirmed, aiming a kick for wherever he could reach, and The Other groped him. Timmy's mind was his own and he gasped, ashamed and dirty. The Other's attention snapped back and he growled.

"Stay _still_, damn you," he hissed. Timmy pushed him away, but he was lethargic. The Other brought them closer, so Timmy could feel his excitement, and Timmy screamed, trembling.

"Stop it!" he pleaded. Torn between whatever was afflicting him and his lust, The Other slapped him across the face with one hand. His left hand remained beneath his pants and pumped him. Blood drained from Timmy's face and his next push was weaker than the first. Tears filled his eyes.

"Stop it, leave me alone…" he pleaded.

The Other flung him to the floor and ripped his pants off. Timmy crawled, desperate to get away, and his anti faerie was on him in a second. He grabbed him from behind and thrust into him, despite still wearing pants. Blind panic set in and he kicked out, unable to connect. Unable to stand on his knees, he collapsed onto the floor and The Other siphoned off more energy.

"Mom, Dad…" he gasped and Lorenzo snorted behind him. He tore off his underwear too and held Timmy down, though he needn't have bothered. Timmy could barely move if he wanted to. He fidgeted, whining, and felt something wet enter him. A new energy burst propelled him to slither, like a snake, along his stomach to get away. Tears fell down his cheeks and his lower lip quivered.

"You have nowhere to run," The Other drawled. "I can wait until you tire yourself out."

"You're supposed to be on _my _side," Timmy sobbed. "You're supposed to help me get my parents back. Why are you hurting me?"

Lorenzo pretended to consider this, and brought Timmy into his lap. This close, Timmy lashed out, hitting him with his palms and trying not to feel, though he couldn't help it, his erection. He ground against him and Timmy cried out, petrified.

"Cosmo and Wanda!" he screamed. "Help! I know you can hear me! Help me!"

Blue mist settled around him and imbued him with more power. Tootie could have told him longing for his godparents, in any fashion, jerked the magic flow the opposite way, removing it from Lorenzo and returning it to its rightful source. As it was, Lorenzo snarled, infuriated he'd called on his godparents, and slammed him onto his back. Timmy whimpered and kicked again, hitting a thigh. The Other loomed over him like a giant predator, waiting for him to stop fighting and simply give him. Timmy thought he'd never been this terrified in his life, not even when Ms. Doombringer had come within inches of killing his godparents. Or even watching his parents die…

"They're not coming," The Other smirked. "Not with the send off you gave them."

"Cosmo and Wanda," he repeated. "Cosmo, Wanda, _please_! I need you!"

The Other scoffed and Timmy felt a little more energy return. He kicked him in the face and this time, it connected. He felt bone beneath his foot and, at Lorenzo's roar, crawled away as fast as he could. Lorenzo roared and Timmy hurried to fix himself, all the while avoiding The Other. His heart raced and he rolled away, only to have The Other grab his ankle.

"I wanted to reward you, but now it seems I'll have to punish you instead, "he said. Timmy squeaked.

"Cosmo, Wanda-" Timmy cried and Lorenzo slapped him across the face. He punched him hard in the stomach and Timmy crumpled, spitting out blood. Then he felt a subtle change in the air.

"We heard you," Wanda said and Timmy whipped his head around. "We were debating whether or not we should come."

"After all, you don't need us, right?" Cosmo said acidly.

"Get _out_!" Lorenzo roared and threw out magic, too angry to think clearly. Cosmo and Wanda hovered near the ceiling and stared at their godson. Lorenzo grabbed him and threw him at his godparents; Wanda caught him with her wand and prevented him from crashing into the floor and breaking bones.

"Timmy, what's going on?" Cosmo asked.

Lorenzo withdrew the transistor and growled at the faeries. "I told you to stay away from him. I told you he would murder you. How much clearer do I have to make the message?"

"Then why did he call for us?" Wanda retorted.

"It was a mistake," Lorenzo thundered and blasted Timmy with mind control. Timmy slumped over in mid air, his vision blurring and his perceptions fading. His previous terror fled, replaced by numbness. He didn't care what The Other did to him- he existed to serve him. The Other wanted Cosmo and Wanda dead and he should kill them, rather than cater to them. His breath hitched in his chest and his thoughts were no longer his own, nor could he convince his body to move. He stared up at Wanda and tried to plead with her while he still could, with his eyes.

"What have you been doing to our godchild?" she growled.

"It's none of your concern, right, Timmy?" Lorenzo snapped back. Timmy glanced down at himself and felt like he was looking somewhere outside, staring at a body that didn't belong to him. His clothing was in tatters and Wanda followed his gaze, along with Cosmo. The blood drained from her face.

"Oh, oh…Timmy…" she breathed.

"You can't prove he doesn't want it," Lorenzo growled. "He's on my side now, bitch. Scan his mind and prove to me he's not mine completely. Do it, frach."

"Don't call me that!" Wanda snapped and drifted closer to him. Cosmo followed, forever at her side, and cloudiness blew over the lingering sentiments he felt toward them. Instead, he felt Lorenzo's fury they had interrupted him and disdain for Timmy's weakness.

"He hurt you," Cosmo said in a low voice.

Wanda's wand still had him in thrall, but he was The Other's now and not theirs. Wanda released him so she could probe his mind, but there was nothing to probe. The Other's rage consumed him and he lashed out at her, grabbing her by the neck and strangling her. In his mind, he heard The Other laugh hysterically and Cosmo and Wanda flinched, stunned.

"Punish them for interfering! Punish them!" he chanted. Timmy tightened his grip and Wanda struggled, blasting him in the chest with her wand. Surprised, Timmy let go and The Other caught him. Her lips quivered and she stared at him.

"Is this the little boy who said he needed you?" Lorenzo mocked.

"What have you done to him?" she whispered. Cosmo hastened to her side and investigated her throat; he ran his fingers along it to verify it was whole and nothing had happened. Deep down, Timmy winced, sensing their love for each other.

"He's hated you for months," Lorenzo said. "I merely made some improvements. I told you before, frach- tell me he's not wholly on my side, that he truly wants his godparents back."

Wanda hesitated. ((Timmy…please…come back to us. He's a monster.))

"No," Timmy said, his lower lip curling. "He cares about me a lot more than you do."

"Oh, is that why he beat you to a pulp?" Cosmo snapped. "Because he cares?"

"Show them how much you love them," The Other said, laughing, and handed him the transistor. Before, he'd been weak and unimpressive, but now he had all the power in the world backing him. The transistor shifted into a dark wand and knocked out theirs. He advanced, smiling insanely, and Cosmo and Wanda retreated, their eyes huge.

((Timmy, please. We love you,)) they sent.

"Even now, they lie," The Other said. "They love you, and yet, they're recoiling from you."

"Duh, because he's got a murderous look in his eye!" Cosmo said.

"A look you put there!" Wanda added.

"I told you, frach," he said. "All you need do is look into his mind and discover the answer."

"Then why would he call for us? Why would he plead for us?" she said.

"Just to lure you here," The Other said and smiled widely. "It worked, didn't it?"

"_Liar_!" she screeched. She had no power and yet, she was proud. If The Other had any affinity for women, he might have found it admirable. Wanda straightened in mid air and her eyes blazed. "I know the difference between a trap and a child in pain!"

"Timmy, who do you want? Cosmo and Wanda, or me?"

In answer, Timmy lunged with the transistor, now a knife, and Cosmo and Wanda flew away as fast as they could. The transistor imbued him with black fairy wings and he charged after them, catching Wanda in the lower right leg. Cosmo struck him on the cheek to get him away from his wife, surprising both Timmy and Wanda. No magic either, on his part, but he stood in front of his wife and glared at Timmy.

"Stay away from her!" he snapped.

Timmy hovered, dispassionate, and slashed again, catching her leg in a deeper gash. Wanda was weaker now, less capable of dodging, and Cosmo grabbed her to shield her from their godson. Timmy ignored this, the dark viscous fairy blood dripping onto the floor, and focused, like he had never been capable of doing in the past. He stabbed Cosmo from behind, catching the already slick knife right below Cosmo's wings. The knife actually stuck, too, before Timmy pulled it out.

Lorenzo laughed, his calls echoing through the room. Both faeries screamed and Wanda grabbed the knife blade. Lorenzo stopped laughing. Timmy stared and the small, outraged part of him was creeping toward his consciousness.

"Timmy," she said and her voice was low, dangerous, despite Cosmo sobbing. "I don't know whether or not you planned this-"

"I didn't," he whispered. "Guys, you have to believe me, I-"

Lorenzo tore through his consciousness again and Timmy tugged on the transistor to get it away from his godmother. Wanda snarled, ignoring the fact the knife was cutting up her hands, and inched her grip forward. Fairy blood made the knife slippery and it shimmered. Timmy's heart thudded in his chest.

"Kill her," The Other whispered. "Do it now."

((Timmy,)) she sent. ((You can't do this and you know it.))

((Get. Away. From. Me.)) he sent back. ((Or I will.))

He could see muscles beneath the bloody, gashed hands and was mildly nauseous. Wanda eased forward, trying to snatch the transistor away, and Timmy growled.

"Get away," he snapped. It wasn't a threat so much as a warning. He didn't, deep down, want to hurt her. The blood was hot and thick on his hands, and he lunged, thrusting forward and catching her in the chest. She screamed and Cosmo, despite his wound, tugged Timmy back to get him off her. Lorenzo laughed again and Timmy felt dead inside. This wasn't real, it wasn't happening to him, and he certainly wasn't about to kill his godparents.

"One more move, my apprentice," The Other mocked and Timmy gawked at the knife. Blood dripped off it in a steady stream and his heart clenched painfully. A little voice squealed desperately in his head, _Give them back their wands!_ The transistor shook in his hands and Lorenzo swallowed more of his energy, shoving the horrified voice further back. The Other punted him further back and the transistor became a scythe. Cosmo and Wanda backed up, staggering in mid air and finally plummeting to the floor.

They stared up at him and the wings vanished. Timmy stalked forward and his throat tightened. The Other laid a hand on his shoulder and together, they leered at his fairy godparents. Cosmo's hand accidentally rested on Wanda's injured leg and she whimpered, pressing one hand to her wounded leg and the other to her chest. Cosmo's back bled steadily and Timmy choked, unwilling to see what was before him. However, it wasn't him in control anymore, it wasn't he who ordered his body, and it certainly wasn't he who wanted this. The way Cosmo and Wanda looked at him made him want to scream and beg for their forgiveness.

Their eyes were huge, tear lined, and like betrayed children. Their lips quivered and despite the blood falling, they were deathly pale. _How could you do this to us…we're your godparents…we love you, Timmy…_

Lorenzo strode forward and, though pathetically weak, they crawled backward. He raised his foot over Wanda's head.

"One stroke and I could crush her skull in," he said. "They can't stop us, Timmy. They never could. They lack the power, the conviction, the ability to do anything but gawk. They are weaklings. Why do you think they're subservient to humans? They should bow to us."

He kicked Wanda into the corner and there she laid, still and unmoving. Timmy wanted to plead with him to stop, but had lost his autonomy. Instead, he strode forward and kicked Cosmo in the ribs. Then, at The Other's nod, he punted Cosmo harshly beside his wife and there he rested, green eyes huge, crying softly. Timmy's knees buckled and The Other straightened him. Wanda wasn't conscious and Cosmo snatched her hand to cradle in his lap.

"It wouldn't be sporting to kill them now, however," The Other said. "Plus, the magic we'd need to revive your parents isn't at its zenith, so this would be a wasted effort. It will serve as an adequate warning, however, to keep them out of our way."

"You're not a monster, are you, Timmy?" Cosmo said. "Not like The Other, right?"

Timmy wanted to cry, deep down, but on the surface, he was calm and collected. He spat at his godfather and The Other wrenched the transistor away from his sire. The wands flew back to his godparents and reignited, their power restored. The transistor transformed into a dark powered wand and sent his godparents away. Their blood sparkled on the floor and Timmy's stomach would have clenched if he could be anything but calm about this. He was a traitor and he knew it.

The Other smiled at him and kissed him on the head. "You did an excellent job, love. I believe you deserve the rest of the night off. I'll just-"

He paused and Timmy cocked his head. Someone, breathing harshly, was sitting on the stairs.

"Oh, really," Lorenzo snapped. "That is the second time that's happened, and I am getting very weary of being spied upon."

"What are you…what are you _doing _in there?" Miss Waxelplax gasped. "Is that _blood_? Mr. DeMedici, what are you _teaching_ Timmy?"

"Go home," The Other commanded and handed him the transistor. "I shall deal with this one."

"But-" Timmy protested. In full view of the principal, he knelt down and kissed him on the lips. He ran his fingers through his hair and sucked on his neck.

"Go home," he said. "When I get there, you can go out with Trixie. I promise."

The transistor shifted into a dark faerie wand and brought Timmy back to the mansion before he had a chance to protest further. Cosmo and Wanda's images floated behind his closed eyes and he wanted to sob, but couldn't. It wasn't until Lorenzo, distracted by Miss Waxelplax, allowed his power to crest elsewhere and Timmy cried hysterically.

* * *

"You have no business being here," Lorenzo said, ascending the stairs.

"I have every right to be here," she said, pale and backing up. "You're not who you said you are. What are you teaching him to do? I've heard rumors about you. I've heard-"

"You heard falsities," he said.

"I heard you brought Crocker to your mansion and he said you believe in hunting faeries like him," she said.

"How did you hear this?" he asked. He willed the transistor to return to him and it did, cleaning itself off in the process. It had returned to its dormant state as a brown smooth wooden stick in his pocket.

"I overheard Crocker thinking about it, I mean…" she looked down at her feet. Lorenzo's interest was piqued. She had overheard his thoughts, which meant they shared rudimentary telepathy, probably brought on by Crocker having Cosmo and Wanda when he was a child. Of course, since no parties recalled that, the magic had remained without a source. Fairy World really needed to clean up better. They were getting awfully sloppy, and leaving him to fix their messes was beneath him.

"You saw nothing," The Other insisted.

"I didn't," she said. "I saw you teaching Timmy and attacking those…those…faeries…"

So she knew what faeries were, and she knew the purpose of these missions. Not to mention she had telepathy- someone else might have kept her and tried to draw magic out of her. Lorenzo had no need for more magic and besides, she might tattle. She backed up, lips quivering, and he pursued, catching her easily. He wrapped his arms around her and she whimpered, staring at him.

"You saw nothing," he repeated.

"No, I saw something!" she insisted. "You, you're…you're fired!"

"You can't fire me," he said. "You know too much."

"What are you…" she stopped, spying the gleam in his eyes. She struggled and he meant to withdraw power from her the way he siphoned it from Timmy. Except, this time, it didn't quite work. Instead of drawing life force, they both collapsed and he discovered himself in a small, circular room with a young woman, more fit and frightened, staring back at him. Miss Waxelplax had at least 100 pounds less on her frame and she cringed, recoiling back toward the large, healthy fire crackling in a grate behind her.

He took stock of his surroundings. Behind him, a large widescreen TV was blank and on high shelves around the room, there were books and symbolic trinkets. She had a portrait of Crocker as a young man near the ceiling and a faerie Lorenzo didn't recognize. The room was cozy and radiated tranquility, and a child friendly atmosphere. Needless to say, he didn't like it very much, though he thought Timmy might have enjoyed it.

"Don't hurt me," she begged. "I don't know how you got in here, or where here is, but please-"

"You know too much," he growled. He shook her and she whimpered, not struggling, just staring at him with wide eyes. It reminded him of Cosmo and Wanda and he dropped her suddenly, associating their fear with Timmy's love for them. Shaking his head to clear it, he advanced on her and she grabbed a stoker by the grate. She wielded it in front of her but seemed reticent to use it.

"Please, please," she whimpered. "Don't hurt me. I don't know what you want, but…don't hurt me!"

"You know too much," he growled. She held the poker further out and he grabbed it, wrenching it away from her. Perhaps he ought to scare her, wherever he was, and maybe she'd forget the entire affair. Perhaps he ought to kill her and ensure she didn't speak. Whatever it was, he suddenly found himself in possession of the poker.

"Please!" she begged. The TV screen flicked on and Lorenzo froze, spying Cosmo and Wanda with a much younger Crocker. He rounded on her.

"You knew them," he said. "You're drawn to them."

"No, I don't know who they are," she pleaded. "Please, Mr. DeMedici-"

"You knew them," he growled. "You knew all along-"

"I didn't, I swear, I don't know who they are, I just know-"

He growled and, without thinking, thrust forward with the poker. It caught her in the chest and she screamed, writhing in pain. There was no blood, but wind gusts struck up and attacked the fire. Stunned, Lorenzo dropped the poker and watched as the woman before him evaporated and the fire huffed out. Darkness surrounded him and he gasped, landing on his back in the school yard with no recollection of how he'd gotten there.

"What just happened?" he said and stared down at Miss Waxelplax. She had no marks upon her, but she was clearly dead. His voice raised an octave and his skin crawled.

"I didn't mean to…I know I'm…I didn't _mean _to…"

Had he been spending too much time around Timmy? His stomach churned. Now how was he supposed to dispose of someone he hadn't intended to kill?

* * *

Tootie almost wished Cosmo and Wanda hadn't kept them so well informed. A week had passed since Timmy had almost murdered his godparents and The Other's 'charity' had saved their lives. Since then, Vicky had kept her under lock and key, and, unable to communicate with Timmy and forced to stay by her sister's side, Tootie had relied on the last refuge of a scoundrel. She watched TV endlessly, no matter what inane tripe was on. She didn't want to deal with a world without Timmy, without her beloved light, and without any chance of getting through to him. Because, really, if he had almost killed his faerie godparents, whom he loved so dearly, what chance did she have?

"You have to stop doing this," Vicky said in the middle of a particularly egregious soap opera.

"You do it all the time," Tootie retorted. "I don't see the problem."

"This is my space," she growled.

"You wanted me down here," she countered.

"I wanted you down here for a couple days, not to leech off my stuff," she snapped back. "You actually _like _Cosmo and Wanda. Why not go play 'fairy' with them?"

"They're not playing," Tootie growled. "And it's criminal for me to sit and watch TV all day, when that's all you've done ever since The Other assaulted you?"

"Don't you dare compare our situations," Vicky snarled. "You lost your precious little 'fairy'."

"Calente was _murdered_!" Tootie screamed, jumping to her feet. "All The Other did was rape you."

Vicky's eyes bulged out of her sockets and color raced into her cheeks. She balled her fists and looked upon her younger sister with utmost loathing written in every line of her face. Jumping to her feet too, she grabbed Tootie by the throat.

"You have no fucking clue, you little shit," Vicky growled. "None."

She released her throat and Tootie stared up at her. She swallowed hard and backed up. Whenever Vicky was in a killing rage, Tootie normally fled the scene. In the back of her mind, she still disagreed, but she was too scared now to argue. Vicky slammed her fist down on the table and cracked it. Tootie gulped.

"Get out," she snapped. "Get the fuck out, you little shit."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Vicky pounded the table so hard it collapsed and Tootie whimpered, tears rising. She swung her fists in Tootie's direction and she ducked, curling into a ball.

"I wish Cal were here…" Tootie whispered and Vicky stopped, staring at her. A few minutes passed, where Vicky allowed Tootie to cower and Tootie felt wholly alone. Then Vicky yanked her to her feet and plopped her on the couch. The soap opera had gone on regardless of the dramatic scene in front of it.

"Are you done?" Vicky said.

"I miss Cal…and Timmy…" Tootie said and curled up in a ball. Tears streaked her cheeks. "You don't understand. You never lived your whole life in fear…of you…"

Vicky stared at her. "You're right. I didn't. And maybe I don't know, or care, how much Cal and Timmy meant to you. But I know what you're doing is sitting here, watching TV, instead of going to school and punishing someone else for your pain."

"What I want to know," Tootie said and took a deep breath, "who hurt you in the very beginning? Who started it?"

Vicky scowled. Rather than say 'wouldn't you like to know', which was what Tootie had anticipated, she said, "Who said it was a person at all? Maybe it was one of those stupid creatures you're so fond of."

Tootie gasped. "A _faerie_ hurt you?'

Vicky scoffed. "They're not always so innocent, just like Turner."

"It's not Timmy's fault," she said defensively.

"You're so naïve," she scoffed. "You have no idea how much people can hurt you if you give them the chance."

* * *

Tootie hated seeing her beloved with Trixie, even if the Asian girl wore a bemused look and usually walked around wearing mismatched earrings or other fashion faux pas now. She hated how weak Cosmo and Wanda had grown, too, and how lethargic they were. When they weren't researching a particular spell, checking up on Timmy from afar, or conversing with Timmy's parents, they were sleeping to recover what little energy they had. They could barely shape shift and it broke her heart to see Wanda snuggle into Cosmo's arms during the middle of a movie, be talking to Tootie, and suddenly both faeries were out like a light. Not to mention their ever present crowns had tarnished gold now, instead of their bright shimmering forms.

She knew Timmy still loved her, because on the accidental occasion he could speak to her, he sent her troubled telepathic messages. Cosmo and Wanda warned her not to believe them, however, because The Other's energy had almost entirely consumed him. They wouldn't put anything past him now.

What was the most devastating, Tootie thought, was how, whenever they actually made contact with Timmy, he repudiated them at the best. And, at the worst, they'd come home barely alive. In Timmy's mind, Tootie had become a non entity and Cosmo and Wanda were mice for the big cats to play with until they finally decided to kill them off.

There had to be a way to get through to him. She just had to think of it.

Anything to get her light back…anything to stop Cosmo and Wanda from being so weak, they could barely get up in the morning…and anything to fix things…

She was all that was left, wasn't she? She'd better do the best damn job she could.


	12. Breakdown

Chapter Twelve: Breakdown

Lorenzo prided himself on brainwashing Trixie Tang, in addition to Timmy. Were she not befuddled, she might have noticed him raping Timmy after practice, or the ominous practice sessions themselves. As it was, she sat up and watched Timmy deliver a roundhouse kick to the Wanda dummy's face…and Timmy frowned, halting. Lorenzo frowned too, sensing something amiss. His eyes cleared for a second and The Other backhanded him.

"Distractions can prove deadly," he chastised.

"I know but…" he shook his head and started again. Magic buzzed around The Other's head and he paced the room to detect its location. Trixie's eyes followed him and he stopped, staring at her. She didn't have her usual vacant expression.

"Yes?" he said. She shook her head and he grimaced, going back to his former activity. For a split second, by the ceiling beams, he thought he saw two pairs of eyes gazing steadfast. They were gone when he inspected closer, and he scoffed. They weren't brave enough to face him or Timmy right now, only when Timmy was alone. They thought he didn't know, but he knew exactly when the frach laid a hand on his beloved. Sneering, he looked back at his protégé, who had misaligned the blade and cut Cosmo dummy's cheek from side to side instead of his throat. This was what he had to deal with. What a waste.

"Get it right," he snapped. "Get it right or else."

"Or else…" Timmy swallowed hard and The Other backhanded him again. He yanked Timmy up off his feet and kissed him roughly, not bothering with mind control this time. Timmy fidgeted, and, for the first time, Lorenzo sensed someone else in Timmy's body. He pressed the advantage and pushed him up against the wall. He should be punishing him, but he wanted this so badly. Thinking about him as his prisoner, unwilling or otherwise, made him hard. He had to have him, he had to have him right now, and there was no recourse for it.

"I've sat here while you disembowel these weird dummies you say are Timmy's fairy godparents," a female voice complained. Lorenzo dropped Timmy in surprise. Trixie stared back at him.

"I've sat here and watched you beat the crap out of Timmy. And now, you expect me to stand here and watch you rape him?" Trixie stared at Timmy. Her lower lip curled. "What kind of sick monster are you? I have half a mind to call the police and child services on you."

Timmy's eyes cleared too and Lorenzo snarled. Great, now he had two problems. He rounded on Trixie with the transistor and the stupid bitch had enough sense to recoil and back up. Using the massive energy he'd pilfered from various sources, he generated a shimmering magical shield to prevent her from escaping. Then he shut his eyes and focused on battering at her mind with a vicious onslaught of emotions. Trixie crumpled instantly, no match for his prowess.

"What…what did you _do _to her?" Timmy gasped. The Other rounded on him.

"Nothing more than she deserved for being so nosy," he said. "She's only a woman, Timmy. I've told you time and time again women are not to be trusted and she was going to break up our love nest. She has no business interfering."

"But…you hurt her…" Timmy looked uncertain and Lorenzo growled, sensing a crack in Timmy's lining. He brewed up another mental onslaught, this one designed to carry Timmy back under, and stopped. Cosmo and Wanda floated directly in front of him; they scowled at Trixie and Timmy stepped back, staring at them with wide eyes. Lorenzo bit back a snarl. He didn't have time for this.

"Get the hell out, frach," he spat. "You're in my way."

"We want to talk to Timmy," she said. "And since you've banned us from the mansion unless he calls us, we thought we should do it here."

Despite her words, a fine tremor built along her body and Cosmo clung to his wife. He shook too, kissing her neck to mollify himself, and running his hands along her back. The Other noticed he was careful not to touch her wings, which he found a little strange. However, there was a bigger problem here. Assuming Wanda was telling the truth which, despite Lorenzo telling Timmy she lied, he knew she hadn't, this meant his surveillance had more sizeable gaps than he'd reckoned. There was no other accounting for what had happened.

"You've been calling them to the mansion," Lorenzo growled. Timmy backed up, paling, and his faeries flew in front of him. His temper mounted and he snarled, "You've been calling the frach and her idiot to the mansion!"

"I…I…" Timmy swallowed hard and his eyes scanned the area frantically. The Other advanced and slammed Timmy with a mental attack that brought him to his knees. Timmy gasped and The Other raised him back up, filling him to the brim with his power. Cosmo and Wanda jerked, and The Other smiled- he could actually see the power slipping away from the faeries', despite their efforts to contain it. At their current levels, they could barely fill a lemonade glass. He sneered.

"I will deal with your insurrection later," he said. He handed him the transistor. "Finish what you started."

Cosmo squeaked and Wanda raised her wand, shifting it into a large sword to battle him off. "Stay away from my godson, The Other."

He formed a giant fist to pound her into the ground and she flew away. Their eyes met and he chuckled, amused at the hatred consuming her. He could make them hate him more, but no, he wanted their loathing directed at Timmy. The transistor transformed into the twin of Wanda's blade and Timmy set forth, wielding it with aplomb, but Wanda's eyes were on Lorenzo. Her body shook in a fine rage.

"Yes, he called us to him," she said. "He called us, sobbing, in the middle of the night, and then suddenly he tried to kill us. But I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that."

"A trap," The Other said. "Just like before, frach. A pity you can't see it, but your defenses are already so low, and you'd fall for banal garbage any time."

((Timmy, listen to us,)) Wanda said. ((You have to snap out of it.))

"You _dare _speak to him mind to mind!" The Other snarled and sent out magic to squeeze her by the throat. "Attack Cosmo while I deal with this!"

Timmy whirled into action and Cosmo growled, shifting his wand into a sword too. The Other flicked a gaze at Cosmo and Timmy- this should be quick. He drew Wanda to his side and relished the pain in her eyes; for added measure, he clamped down a wall between herself and Cosmo. Both faeries gasped and The Other wrapped his actual hand around her throat. She struggled and he broke the hand holding her wand. It dropped to the floor and he kicked it away.

"I will only say this one more time, before I leave you a permanent reminder," he hissed. "Timmy belongs to _me_. He is _mine_. And there is not a goddamn thing you can do about it, you fucking bitch."

She spat in his face and he retaliated by yanking on her right wing. Unable to cry out because he was strangling her, she turned blue and struggled, kicking him in the chest. Her blows were weakened, lessened by the magic drain and his superiority. He dropped her onto the floor and dug his foot into her back. Squirming, regaining her breath, she clawed at his leg and he responded by kicking her. Unfortunately, this brought her closer to her wand and she seized it, healing herself and rising to slap him across the face. It happened so fast, he hadn't realized she'd shifted her hand into a dragon's paw and left claw marks across his cheeks. Blood dripped down and he snarled, reaching for her only to have her fly back.

"Motherfucker!" he cursed.

"Actually, that's my job," Cosmo said and The Other glanced back at him. His stomach twisted unpleasantly. Not only hadn't Timmy succeeded in unarming his godfather, against all odds, the godfather was actually _good _at dueling. He had fended off any and all attacks without concentration. Cosmo was an idiot savant. He smiled at Lorenzo, but the smile didn't reach his eyes, which were surprisingly cold and feral.

"You see, I'm the father and she's-"

"Don't help!" Wanda snapped.

The Other took advantage of her irritation to blast her with magic, which she ducked. She swung around to Timmy's side and touched his shoulder. What little patience Lorenzo had left flew out the window. Wanda was touching him, which he had explicitly told her not to. She was trying to talk to him, talk sense into him, and Cosmo was nearby, trying to draw him back into their little family. All they needed was Tootie now…and he could sense her, waiting for the results. Lorenzo exploded.

He funneled his fury into Timmy and Timmy's hesitation vanished. He grabbed Wanda and dislocated her shoulder. Cosmo, still holding the blade, looked fit to run it through his godson without thinking and The Other stepped forward, to rip out Cosmo's left wing. Sufficiently distracted, Cosmo forgot the blade and turned to face Timmy's anti faerie. Meanwhile, Timmy used the surprise element to launch attacks at his godmother, which put her on the defensive.

"Timmy, this is insane," Wanda said. "You can't do this."

"If I kill you, I'll get my mother back," Timmy retorted. "I hate you, you and Cosmo. You killed my parents."

"Should I wait until Halloween, or should I do it now?" Lorenzo taunted, circling Cosmo. Cosmo squeezed his wand, healed himself, and glared at The Other. He hadn't noticed the Bond's disruption and Lorenzo wasn't quite sure why. He touched Cosmo's mind and was stunned to discover not only were there thoughts present, but Cosmo had a keen focus he hadn't thought possible. Cosmo launched himself at Lorenzo and forced him backward, putting him on the defensive.

"We didn't do it on purpose," Wanda shot back. "Timmy, please, come home with us and we can discuss it however long you like. But come with us."

Out of the corner of his eye, Lorenzo saw Timmy bounce off the walls with the transistor and plunge the blade into her neck, right beneath the jugular. Cosmo, who had been actively pushing The Other back with a combination of magic and dueling prowess, stopped in his tracks. The Other did too. Blood poured from Wanda's neck and Timmy gasped, yanking the transistor out. Blood drained from his face and The Other quickly filled Timmy's mind with fog, because the severe emotional shock was not going to disappear. Timmy fought him, trying his best to push him out, and The Other upped the ante. He shoved Timmy's personality and Timmy shoved back, tears glimmering in his eyes.

"Wanda!" Cosmo screamed and, unable to continue the Bond disruption, Lorenzo let it go to focus on pushing Timmy to do what he wanted. Timmy growled, crying softly, and The Other knew there was only one way to force him to stay with him. It would be a lesson to warn him never to fight him again, though it'd probably do more damage in the long run when Timmy wasn't under his control. He picked Timmy up and screamed- Timmy had actually _bit _him to get away and rejoin his godparents. Lorenzo punched him in the back of the head to daze him.

Faerie dust polluted the air and both boys coughed. Timmy stared up at him with huge eyes and The Other responded by punching him in the face. He pounded Timmy's face into the floor and panted, shoving him with magic and violence to convince him to stop crying, damn it, and to stop calling Cosmo and Wanda. With every gasp, he choked their names and The Other couldn't let him change the magic flow, couldn't let him side with his godparents again. The sheer horror was too much, and Timmy wouldn't submit.

He ripped off his pants and underwear and spread his legs. Timmy spun around and Lorenzo pressed his entire weight into Timmy's insubstantial weight. He hadn't fed his sire enough, this was true, and Timmy was weaker than he ought to be, like his godparents. Thinking about Cosmo and Wanda made him angrier and he missed a couple notches on his belt because his hands were shaking so badly. Finally, he succeeded in taking off his belt and pants, and Timmy twisted his torso. The Other put a knee in the middle of his back and applied pressure. Timmy cried out and The Other, ready and wishing for a split second he'd thought to delay this by using lube, entered him.

"You do not _ever _call them!" he snarled. "Do you understand me, you goddamn little bitch? You do not _ever _feel sorry for them. You do _not _love them. They are the _enemy _and must be killed. _Do you understand_?"

Timmy was crying still and The Other thrust harder, knowing how much it hurt him. It wasn't entirely pleasant for him either, without lube, but it didn't matter. The point was to teach him a lesson, not to show him a good time. In the back of his mind, he knew he shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't be hurting Timmy like this, and should show him mercy. Especially since Timmy had stopped fighting entirely and just cried, sounding like a lost child without a friend in the world. It couldn't possibly be him with a conscience, no.

He finished and rolled him over. Timmy curled up in a ball and hugged his knees. His backside was bleeding profusely and he was crying so hard, he couldn't breathe.

"I wish…I were…at home…" he gasped. "Cos-"

He stopped and Lorenzo smiled. The lesson had taken. He thought, however, there might be a need for additional practice. He lowered himself to Timmy's mouth and felt a subtle change in the air. Suddenly, someone, who was decidedly _not _Timmy, chomped down and damn near severed his penis off his body. Screaming in pain, The Other tumbled backward and a boy with the same color of eyes, but projecting a completely different, magical aura, glared at him.

"Hate you," he spat. "I _hate _you. It's one thing for you to be abusin' Tim-Tim, and it's another to force him when he's like this. You fucker. You almost killed Wanda, too."

"…Gary?" The Other gasped, manipulating the magic within him to heal himself. Gary seized the transistor and turned it into a blade again, pointing the tip at The Other's throat.

"You touch us like that ever again and I will rip your fuckin' throat out," Gary snapped. "I don't care who you think you are. Back. The Fuck. Off."

The Other rose unsteadily, pumping magic into himself to heal the cut, and Gary shoved the sword point into The Other's neck.

"You'll rue the day you shoved me back in, Lory-poo," Gary growled. "I will make it my personal mission to turn your life a living hell."

* * *

Cosmo and Wanda had adopted the role of surrogate godparents. They didn't grant wishes, but they protected Tootie from solitude, in case she suffered a relapse. At the moment, they traveled the school grounds. Cosmo and Wanda were taciturn; they only commented after Tootie spoke, and clung to each other in cat form. They nearly tripped walking; they could have molded into one creature. Loud noises startled them and sudden movements made them jump. In terms of actual magic, they had very little, so really, they weren't godparents, just companions. It was all right. Tootie would rather be with them than be by herself.

"There's magic in telepathy, right?" she said.

They didn't answer her. She heard, almost below the human range, a faint buzzing. Turning on her heel, she stared at them. "Guys?"

"Oh, sorry, sweetie, could you repeat the question?" Wanda said.

"There's magic in telepathy, right? So I can do magic if I have telepathy," she said. The faeries exchanged a look and Tootie scowled.

"I'm not sure I'd jump to that conclusion," Wanda said.

"For all we know, sure," Cosmo said brightly. "Have you tried?"

"No," she said. "But if I have magic, I can snap Timmy back to normal."

Cosmo and Wanda exchanged pained looks. Wanda spoke, "Tootie, honey, we _have _magic and we almost got killed again today. I'm not sure how much help magic is going to be."

"You're not his soul mates," Tootie said. Timmy could never completely ignore her, since they were destined to be together. She had to find a way to remind him. Assuming she had magic, maybe she could work a spell. Cosmo and Wanda didn't appear to have anything useful, after all.

"No…" Wanda admitted.

Cosmo scoffed. "What kinda weird stories have _you _been reading?"

"And you guys only have Da Rules at your disposal," she said, growing enthusiastic. "I bet The Other has all sorts of books in his library."

"Tootie, _no_," Wanda said. "The last thing you want to do is bring yourself to his attention."

"Timmy won't hurt me," she said confidently. "He'll stop The Other from hurting me too. You guys worry too much."

"What part of 'we almost got the business end of a sword' are you not getting?" Cosmo said.

"You aren't his true loves," she said. "I'll think of something. Don't worry. Worse comes to worst, you guys can always come in and bail me out."

"Um…" Wanda grimaced. "We can't transport into the mansion without an invitation."

"So I'll call you and you'll come," Tootie said. "Seriously, guys, chill."

Wanda groaned and slapped a palm to her forehead. "Children…"

* * *

Remy Buxaplenty was cutting school, but it didn't matter. No one noticed what he did, not if he paid them not to say anything. His parents left town on extended business trips every week, and he almost never saw them. He had a dull ache nothing would quench, and he felt hollow and useless. Males speaking Spanish made him turn his head and whimper, longing for something and not knowing exactly what. He couldn't remember, needed to remember, and there was a block. Someone had tampered with his memories and he yearned for this missing person so badly he thought he might die if he didn't see them again.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" A man wearing all black inquired. He had a black sweatshirt and t-shirt, along with long unkempt brown hair. His eyes were a clear, cold cerulean blue and reminded him of someone else, someone with buckteeth. He had to crane his neck to stare at the man, because he was easily six feet tall.

"Aren't you?" he countered. The man looked vaguely familiar, like Dimmsdale Junior High School's principal. Whoever he was, he had power and charisma. Remy found himself drawn to him.

"The memories aren't entirely lost, you know," he said. "Neither is the faerie behind them."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Remy sniffed. "And I make it my policy never to associate with hoodlums."

"You know Timmy," Lorenzo said and smiled. "I can sense his presence."

"I don't know how you're talking about," Remy shot back. "If you don't mind, I have…"

He stopped. The man stepped forward and rummaged through his mind. It was the nearest metaphor he had, for the careless shuffling of memories and then tugging, bringing a concealed one to the light. Remy saw before his eyes a muscular Latino fairy with piercing purple eyes and black hair. His knees weakened and he crumpled to his feet. Now, too quickly to stop or control, he saw himself with this man- no, not man, _fairy_, a fairy named Juandissimo, and he'd been kind and gentle to him. He'd treated him with love and respect and Remy had fallen in love with him, and then lost him to Turner.

Gorge rose in his throat and he looked at the man before him. Magic emanated like nothing he had ever seen before. It paralyzed him. The Other smiled and snapped his fingers.

"You know Timmy," he said. "Your faerie knows Wanda. You are useful to me. You will come with me."

On a level he couldn't process, the absolute control the man had was downright terrifying. He couldn't say 'no', couldn't speak at all, and the time to run had long past. It had disappeared the moment they made eye contact.

But who was Timmy to him?

* * *

"We need to talk," A.J. said. He, Chester, Sanjay, and Elmer had gathered outside Timmy's classroom. Timmy had an enormous headache and his body responded sluggishly. Lorenzo wasn't present, and had taken a personal day. Without him, Timmy felt raw and violated, knowing the night before, The Other had had his way with him and then forced him to suck him off. Cosmo and Wanda were with Tootie; he knew these things without asking now. The Other was using him as a conduit. Free will no longer existed until The Other grew distracted.

Then he sensed it. The Other had found someone else, though he didn't know quite who, and withdrew enough for Timmy to take several shaky breaths and look at his friends.

"No, dude, we don't," Timmy said.

"Yes, we do," A.J. said. "You've been acting weird."

"And brushing us off," Chester said.

"And you do not even answer your phone!" Sanjay said.

"Don't you want to be friends anymore?" Elmer asked.

"I'm kinda going through some stuff right now," Timmy said. "I'm not at home anymore."

"You can tell us, you know," A.J. said. "We're your best friends. At least, we were until you ditched us for the principal. What is up with that guy, anyway?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he said and chills ran through his body. This morning before school, he- no, he wouldn't let himself think about it while he had free will and mobility. Instead, he searched the posters on the wall for signs of pink and green. Cosmo and Wanda wouldn't come to him anymore, he was almost certain, but now that he could speak, he needed to talk to them. He needed out of this deal. The only problem was, he couldn't break The Other's hold on him, no matter how badly he wanted to, and the only time he was aware of it was when he had ten seconds to think for himself.

"You're going to have to tell us something," A.J. said.

"Look, dude, as soon as I _can _say something, I will," he said. "I promise. Right now isn't a good time."

His friends appraised him and he shuddered.

"When's the last time you ate?" Chester asked.

"I don't know," he said.

"How do you not know?" A.J. asked. "If you ask me, something really strange is going on here."

"Nothing more than usual," he said and forced a smile.

"You usually spend long hours with a creepy man inside a basement preparing to kill something?" Chester said. "I thought you just played video games and hung out with us."

"He is preparing to kill someone?" Sanjay shrieked.

"I don't know, dude, but he's preparing to do something," Chester said. "I saw those dummies. They had some weird pink and green sparkles on them, too."

Timmy's stomach churned. "As soon as I can tell you, I will. I promise. But you gotta lay off for the moment."

"This isn't like the time you got those two people to replace you and make you super popular, is it?" A.J. said. Timmy flinched.

"No," he said. "I swear I'll tell you when I can."

"Can you at least come and play the new Crash Nebula game afterschool?" A.J. said. He scowled. "Or are you too busy for your friends?"

"There's a new Crash Nebula game?" Timmy said.

"Where have you been?" Chester said. "They've only been advertising it for three weeks."

"I haven't been watching TV," Timmy said. "I've been busy."

"Doing what, exactly?" A.J. said. "Avoiding us?"

"Stabbing dummies?" Chester added.

"Pretending we don't exist?" Elmer said.

"Abandoning us all for some futile effort you know will fail?" Sanjay asked.

"I told you, I'm going through some stuff," Timmy said. "I'll see if I can come over later."

"I hope so," A.J. said. Timmy grimaced, He looked at the walls and thought of calling his faeries to him. Then he remembered the previous day and trembled violently, hugging himself and bile rising in his throat again. He couldn't call them. Lorenzo would rape him if he called them. Hell, he'd rape him if he didn't, but last night…

The bell rang and his friends filed into the room.

"You coming?" Chester called.

"Cosmo, Wanda…I'm so scared…" he whimpered.

* * *

The first four school hours passed quicker than anticipated and Tootie had Cosmo and Wanda on her tray as a milk carton and a straw. Cosmo was the straw and bouncing up and down inside the circular inset. Wanda blushed scarlet.

"Stop that," she said. "Don't give her ideas."

"What ideas?" Cosmo said innocently. "I'm just a bendy straw. I like to go up and down…and up and down…"

"Ahem," Tootie said. "Are you done?"

"And up and down…and up and down… and look, you're already filled with a white liquid."

Wanda's face grew so hot Tootie could feel the heat coming off. For a second, her eyes vanished and she groaned. "Cosmo, stop. We are not pornographic food products."

"And up and down…and up and down…"

"Cosmo!" Wanda hissed. She shifted into a lunch box and left Cosmo as a stray straw. He whined and she rolled her eyes.

"As I was going to say, I know The Other has a vast repository at his disposal, but walking into the lion's den is not a good idea, Tootie," Wanda murmured. "You could get killed."

"Or worse!" Cosmo piped up, transforming into an apple.

"Timmy still loves me. I need to remind him and in order to do that, I need that book," she said, holding her chin haughtily high.

She sat down by herself and glanced over at Timmy's friends, who had crowded around him. Timmy looked wan and pale, picking at his food and jerking every time someone touched him. His lips trembled and he hunched in on himself, to lessen the target. Wanda frowned, nudging Tootie with her handle. Cosmo hopped up and down on the tray and Tootie unwrapped the sandwich she'd brought.

"I don't sense The Other around him," Wanda said. "Should we…"

"And have him snap at us again?" Cosmo scoffed. "Leave him alone."

"I don't know…" she said. "He might be receptive now."

"Have Tootie talk to him," he said. He also sent something via telepathy, a light buzzing in her ears, and she frowned, sending Timmy a message.

((Timmy? Where's Lorenzo?))

Timmy looked up and at her. It was the first time she'd seen his blue eyes unclouded in weeks. His brow furrowed and he excused himself from the table. He approached and Cosmo and Wanda flinched, preparing to disappear.

"He won't do anything here," she muttered to them. "Guys, chill."

"Did you try to talk to me?" he said. "The only voice I can hear in my head is Lorenzo's."

"Convenient," Cosmo snorted.

"Where is he?" Tootie repeated aloud. "Where's your 'master'?"

Timmy sat down and up close, she saw he looked emaciated and weak. She stroked his hair and his lips twitched, but he pulled away from her. Cosmo and Wanda hovered, nervous, changed into moths. They fluttered near Tootie and Tootie cupped his cheek. She couldn't help it. She'd missed him horribly and he seemed receptive, for the moment.

"Why are you doing that?" he said.

"We're soul mates, Timmy," she said.

"Yeah, but…" he said and then stopped. He glanced at Cosmo and Wanda and they shuddered, pulling back.

"Can I talk to them? In private?"

"Anything you have to say to them, you can say to me too," she said, scowling. "The last time you had them alone, you almost skewered them."

He shook his head. "This time is different. I swear. I promise I won't hurt him."

"Oh, like we haven't heard _that _one before," Cosmo scoffed.

"Please, Tootie," he said. "I'll do anything you want. Later. Just let me have Cosmo and Wanda. They're _my _faeries."

"And _you're _trying to kill them," Tootie countered. She folded her arms across her chest. "Besides, I want to talk to you too, and there's only twenty minutes before lunch is over."

He sighed. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What you're doing is wrong," she said. "You know that."

He ran his fingers through his hair and she pushed her lunch at him. He stared at it and then at her. Biting her lip, she sensed someone else around, though the sensation was there and gone an instant later. Confused, she stared at him and he stared back, picking up the apple cautiously and gnawing at it. He choked and froze, staring at nothing.

"Timmy?" she called. ((Timmy?))

He didn't answer the mental summons and his breathing grew shallow. Without a word, he rose to his feet and she jerked him back down. Not fighting her, he breathed shallowly, tensing entirely. Cosmo and Wanda exchanged glances and nudged Tootie. She frowned at them, concentrating on Timmy.

"What the…" he breathed. "_Remy_."

"Um…who's Remy?" Tootie asked. He didn't answer her. He snagged his sleeve back, but she wasn't willing to let him go that easily. After all, she had barely exchanged ten words with him since he'd fallen under The Other's spell.

"I have to go," he announced.

"Like hell you do," she snapped.

"Tootie, you don't understand," he said and paled.

"I don't care," she snarled. "You're staying here. You wanted to talk to Cosmo and Wanda, right? Well, talk. Don't hide behind your _master_."

((Impudent bitch,)) The Other snarled in her head. ((How dare you presume anything. How dare you use telepathy on him.))

Timmy's eyes glowed and he grimaced. Pink and green faerie dust shimmered around him and he stepped back, looking less like himself and more like a puppet. His flesh filled out and he had the appearance of being a fully nourished, healthy young boy. Tootie's eyes narrowed. So Cosmo and Wanda were supplying him with energy only when The Other paid attention to him. She shuddered, sensing The Other's presence though he wasn't physically near them, and Cosmo and Wanda shuddered too. They looked up at her with huge eyes and she retreated, holding the tray to her chest.

"Timmy?" she whispered.

"The Other has a message for you," he growled. "Stay out of his business, or pay the price."

He stomped off and this time, Tootie was content to let him go. Cosmo and Wanda shifted into moths on her shoulder and she swallowed hard. This only cemented her determination. Timmy was in there. He'd proved it. She'd go to the mansion and get a book to break him loose. It was the only way.

* * *

A.J. had appointed himself leader of the group foraying into the 'unknown' or, more importantly, into Lorenzo DeMedici's dark past. Their first order of business was to investigate Miss Waxelplax's strange disappearance. Rumor had it something smelled quite foul emanating from the forest, and Sanjay, Elmer, A.J., and Chester set off forthwith to inquire further. Chester thought at first something had rotted and died in there. He was right. Something had.

"She's dead," A.J. said, frowning in puzzlement. "Without a scratch on her."

"Dude, she reeks," Chester said. "What are we supposed to do about this?"

"Move to higher ground?" Sanjay suggested.

"But how'd she die?" Elmer said and grimaced. His boil whispered, "Murder!"

Sanjay, A.J., and Chester stepped away from him.

"She's definitely dead," A.J. said. "No doubt about that. But what killed her?"

"We're twelve," Chester pointed out. "I kinda doubt we're qualified to figure it out on our own."

"True," A.J. said. "And we'd have to take it somewhere for analysis."

"We cannot even prove Mr. DeMedici was behind this," Sanjay said.

"No…" A.J. said. "But we can't prove he wasn't, either. Think about it. Right after this guy shows up, all sort of strange things happen. First, Timmy's parents die, and then Vicky's and Tootie's, and then Miss Waxelplax is suddenly gone, he's head of the school, and Timmy turns into a zombie. He has to be the common link."

"Not to mention Timmy's parents as ghosts…" Chester said. A.J. winced.

"I was trying not to think about that," A.J. said. "Though there has to be a logical reason for that."

"Even if we could prove all these things happened because of him, what are we supposed to do?" Elmer said.

"Yeah…" Sanjay said. "He emanates power."

"I don't know…but we're going to find out," A.J. said. "Somehow."

* * *

Cosmo and Wanda were _not _happy. Tootie had no intention of abandoning her plans, regardless of what the faeries and her sister might say. She knew she had to break Timmy out of his spell, and she knew she could do it, because they were true loves. And also…she knew she sounded insane, but she was getting desperate. Cosmo and Wanda were at an all time low, they could barely float upright, and shape shifting was their limit. Hell, a baby could shapeshift, which didn't say much. Without ammunition, they had no defense, and though Wanda assured her they had a trick up their sleeves, she had yet to see it.

The night was cool, with a wintry breeze. Tootie had worn a purple windbreaker and approached the iron gate. She had no idea what Cosmo and Wanda had done with Calente's body, but it probably hadn't involved returning to The Other's mansion or mounting his head on a pike. Tootie's stomach turned. Magic had preserved it, so his lifeless eyes stared out at her. Dried blood was on his neck and his mouth was permanently agape, frozen in a shocked expression.

She stepped back and The Other projected a translucent image near the gates. "Welcome…_Tootie_. I trust you don't plan on staying long. At least, if you value your livelihood."

Her lower lip curled. "What if I told you I planned on stealing Timmy away from you and breaking your spell over him?"

"I'd tell you that you were foolish in the extreme…and should you touch a single hair on his head, I will punish you. _Severely."_

Tootie smiled with a confidence she didn't feel. Cosmo and Wanda had almost died numerous times in the last few weeks, and it was only his insistence on waiting for Halloween keeping him from following through. Tootie had no magic in reserve. Lorenzo could kill her at his leisure, like he had Calente. Tootie's stomach clenched and she forced herself to look away from her poor, decapitated faerie. His face had gone blue and she whimpered.

"Atta girl," The Other said, smirking. He vanished and she shuddered, hugging herself. Her eyes lingered on Cal's disembodied head and she tore her eyes away with a sinking sensation in her stomach. The gates opened and she headed up the cement walk. The trees surrounding the house were weeping willows, and no birds cried. No squirrels skittered along the grass, crunching beneath her feet, and no crickets chirped. Dead air pounded against her eardrums and her hands dried; she rubbed them on her skirt.

Swallowing hard, she approached the front door. Cosmo and Wanda's disembodied heads hung from a hook on the door and she screamed, drawing back. They vanished; an illusion like Lorenzo's projection earlier, and she shuddered uncontrollably. Choking back tears, she pushed the front door open. Confidence fled her- this might help Timmy, but she wasn't sure her nerves could handle it. She tasted blood in her mouth, smelled death and decay in the front hallway, and felt the dry, unmoving air.

The front hallway was short, with a red flat carpet and four plain oak doors leading off. Next to each door was a picture of a notable anti fairy- Tootie saw a fairy with reddish brown hair, brown eyes, and a nasty smirk staring back at her. She shifted a couple feet along the hall and could have sworn the eyes followed her. Swallowing hard, she stared at the doors and tried, for the first time, to sense what lay beyond them. Timmy flashed into her mind- he was hugging his knees and sitting on a large bed with carved wooden posts. He started shaking uncontrollably.

Surprised, she shook her head and the image disappeared. Timmy lay distantly beyond the fourth door, the second on the right, and the door up against the furthest wall. The library, however, was not in the same direction. She knew it intuitively and instead touched the left door, nearest her. Heat flared against her hand and she withdrew it. Not right, then. Rubbing her palm against her skirt again to rid herself of the sensation, and loathing the goosebumps along her body, she tried the next door, which yielded before her touch. Was the house aiding her, or ultimately leading her into a showoff against Lorenzo?

No, she'd wipe that from her mind. She didn't need to worry now what The Other would do once he caught her. At least she still had Cosmo and Wanda to transport her out, if need be. Assuming they had the power…

Her stomach clenched.

* * *

Lorenzo was in an incredibly foul mood. He hadn't exerted his control over Timmy tonight, though he'd shown rare kindness and permitted him to eat dinner. He might have been more distracted than good intentioned, however.

The Other entered the room and smiled, predatory, at his sire. Timmy shrank back against the pillows and saw blue eyes in his mind- not his, not Lorenzo's- they belonged to…Gary? Startled, he let Lorenzo pin him.

"You haven't spoken to your parents, have you?" he asked, covering his cheeks with kisses.

"No, why?" he said, shivering but knowing he couldn't possibly escape, and shouldn't bother trying.

"What about Cosmo and Wanda?" The Other's tone turned severe and he nipped Timmy's neck too hard. Timmy yelped and The Other smiled, licking at the abrasion.

"No…" Timmy blinked. "You don't want me near them."

"That's right," The Other said, smug. He divested Timmy of his clothing and his eyes shone darkly. "But just in case, perhaps you need to be punished."

* * *

Tootie pushed open the library doors and her jaw dropped. Rows and rows of pilfered books ascended to the ceiling. A curving mobile ladder stuck to a bookcase to aid with the harder to reach tomes. It could take her forever to find the correct book. The hairs rose on her arms and neck and she swallowed hard. Maybe she'd have better luck pulling books off the shelves at random and searching through them.

She headed for the first bookcase- the books were arranged along the walls, with tables and chairs in front of them. To her right was a roaring fireplace with an iron grate in place before it. It stood about three feet tall and its heat suffused the room, yet nothing could touch Tootie's inner chill. A brick chimney encased the fireplace and she looked away from it to the bookcases, ten feet tall and all seeping magic. One particular corner pulsated dark power and she clenched her teeth, avoiding it and choosing the section right next to her.

Overhead, a candelabra with a faerie's head carved as the centerpiece provided ghoulish light.

The library's floor had a deep scarlet plush carpet, with dark green surrounding it. Her feet sank inside and tension gripped her, prompting her to pivot and stare. She sensed nothing, though she suddenly feared for Timmy. Panic rising, she ran her fingers along broken, cracked spines and pulled books off the shelves at random. None of them felt right, and she gathered a stack to peruse. Her stomach clenched painfully and she doubled over, certain for a second she'd vomit. The sensation passed, but she felt horribly weak, like a newborn kitten. Gathering the books, she hastened her steps and started tearing through them.

* * *

This session was more violent than any Timmy had ever encountered. It turned out Lorenzo not only suspected his parents of colluding with Cosmo and Wanda, but believed it. It also seemed he had no real power over his parents and was immensely frustrated, because Cosmo and Wanda threatened to unravel his whole plan. Timmy didn't comprehend how, but it was also hard to fathom this while his lower lip bled, his body throbbed, and he had more bruises than he did during practice. Lorenzo hadn't just raped him- he'd thrown in a free beating.

The Other rose from the bed and seized Timmy by the throat. He then dropped him and spun, divided. He collapsed on the bed and cradled Timmy to him.

"You know I only do this because I love you," he said. "I want to protect you. Cosmo and the frach don't know what's good for you the way I do. I love you, Timmy. I only hurt you because you'll never learn otherwise. Please don't hate me."

Timmy stared at him. Aside from his lower lip, The Other hadn't touched his face. Black anger surged through him and before he knew, he wasn't himself.

"You hurt me 'cuz you love me, huh?" Gary spat through Timmy. "That's rich."

It was fortunate for the two of them The Other wasn't listening. He stroked Timmy's hair and kissed him on the temples. "I can't stand the thought of anyone taking you away from me. Cosmo and Wanda want you, and they can't have you. Only I can. Only I know what you need. I know you need me. No one else will tell you the truth. No one else will care for you the way I do. Especially not that _whore_."

Gary didn't know whom Lorenzo was talking about, but Timmy did. He was also indignant at being shoved aside in his own mind, not by The Other, whom he had expected, but by his imaginary friend.

"Perhaps you don't understand well enough," The Other said and filled Timmy's mind with mist. It knocked Gary back and brought Timmy, blinking, to the forefront. "Maybe you need another lesson."

"No!" Timmy choked. The Other smiled.

"Yes."

* * *

Why hadn't anyone told her magical books were in French? Not only were they in French, but also they were in _Old _French, which was more irritating still. She didn't know any French, and she had yet to locate English translations. None of the books struck the right cord and she was tempted to read at random and hope for the best. Caution impeded her, for if these were books faeries didn't normally have access to the magic within must be potent.

After digging through about ten tomes, she finally located an English text. She whooped and leafed through it excitedly. One spell compelled her and she grinned, scanning through it. It was called "Reverse Through the Looking Glass". This place was full of magic- she didn't see a reason why she shouldn't give it a try.

Besides, what was the worst that could happen?

* * *

Lorenzo struck Timmy so hard he heard bones crack and he screamed, backing away and his chest feeling heavy, oppressed by the dark magic. He'd had another mood swing and in a few seconds, Timmy knew why. Lorenzo could always tell when someone enacted magic and a poor fool had been stupid enough to start a spell. The mental swirl eclipsing him withdrew and The Other snarled, shoving Timmy off the bed. Memories flooded back of the recent past and he shuddered, vulnerable and violated.

"I shall deal with that stupid little whore," he declared and vanished with a crack. Timmy hugged his knees and cried, still bleeding and his body raw.

"Cosmo…Wanda…" he whimpered. "Mom, Dad…anyone…please…I need you."

Lorenzo pinning him to the bed and striking him about the face while he…

"Cosmo! Wanda!"

* * *

"You should have never come," Lorenzo announced, stalking like a large cat on the prowl. "Yet you had not only the audacity to come, but to flaunt your presence."

The air rippled and Tootie realized he was using faerie glamour. It angered her, but she was too terrified to feel much of it. She backed up and he strode forward, one stride of his matching three of hers.

"You know, I've often thought about killing you," he said. "I don't think Timmy would miss you much."

"Just add me to the list, huh?" she said, stalling and hoping he'd let her escape unscathed. It was unlikely, but maybe she had a chance.

"No," he said. "Because you're not important enough to kill. You're worth nothing. You're a stupid little whore, but you're not good enough to kill. You're beneath Timmy's notice, and the only reason I'm here is because you have a source of magic. I want it. And you'll give it to me…or else."

He smiled unpleasantly. "You'd be surprised by how much magic there is. You can derive it from unusual sources too. For example, did you know there's magic in sex? Especially if the victim is unwilling. You can feed off their fear. Non sexually, you can feed off fear from beatings too, as I plan to show you."

He seized her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back. She hadn't seen him move, he'd shifted so fast. "However, there is an option. Relinquish to me your paltry magic and I'll let you go. Should you choose not to, then there will be consequences. Dire consequences."

"You don't have enough magic?" she gasped. "You have all of Cosmo and Wanda's power-"

"Almost all," he corrected. "Once they die, I will. I have Calente's power, which was subverted. It seemed he suppressed it to the point of insanity. And I have Timmy's, but Timmy doesn't have much. It's a matter of using it to subdue him."

"And if I told you to go to hell?" she said. "And I'm not going to stop fighting for Timmy?"

"Then I have only one thing to say to you," he said and grinned. "I'll enjoy listening to you scream."

* * *

Timmy staggered to the bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. His whole back was bleeding from welts and whip marks, as well as forceful entry, and his legs wouldn't support him. He crumpled, gasping, and hugged his knees. Displeased, his stomach protested and he yelped, releasing them in favor of lying on the floor with his face against the cool bathroom tiles. His body ached and he felt like a cheap whore. Tears welled and he knew if he started crying now, he wouldn't be able to stop.

"Cosmo, Wanda…" he whispered. The words choked and died in his throat. "I'm sorry…"  
**

* * *

**

The Other dominated the battle arena. He squashed Tootie against the floor and twisted her arm behind her back until they heard it snap. Blanching, she squirmed and he squeezed her shoulder until it dislocated. She couldn't even fight back. It was like the instant she moved, he was there, anticipating it. He'd started with a jab to the solar plexus, continued with a swift uppercut, slammed his hands down on her ears to jar her head, and came precariously close to snapping her neck twice, to prove he could do.

Disoriented, eyes watering, and shaking, she whimpered. Lorenzo dug a knee into her lower back and pressed on her kidneys. Gasping, she flailed, but none of her blows hit. He twisted her wrist back and it snapped too.

"Now," he said. "I'm a generous anti faerie. I'll give you another chance. Will you leave my Timmy _alone_?"

"Go to hell," she gasped. "Cosmo and Wanda!"

* * *

He didn't know how much lower he could sink. Cosmo and Wanda probably weren't going to answer. His parents weren't here, might not even exist anymore, for all he knew. And he could only be himself when The Other was distracted…not that he was bothering to distract him for their 'sessions'. Timmy's throat constricted, tasting bile and worse things, and vomited. He couldn't even lift himself to the toilet seat.

"Cosmo and Wanda…" he whimpered.

"Wow, we're in demand tonight," a very familiar, welcome voice said.

"I don't know…" Wanda answered. "Maybe we should have gone to Tootie. She sounded like she was in pain when she called us…"

Timmy fought to sit, couldn't manage, and stared at his godparents, floating above him. They sank to the floor, unable to stay aloft, and gazed at him. Wanda's eyes roved his body and, cautious, she touched his wrist. He jerked back, afraid of physical contact.

"You could wish yourself home," Wanda said very quietly. "We would take you."

"Yeah, Timmy," Cosmo said. "You don't have to stay _here_…"

Wanda's hand trembled when she touched his forehead, slick with sweat, and he whimpered, pulling his head back. Frowning, she held her wand, glowing, before her.

"We could heal you," she murmured.

"Yeah, but you have to let us," Cosmo said. Their eyes narrowed. "Since The Other has all our magic."

He breathed shallowly.

"Cosmo! Wanda!" Tootie yelped, her voice echoing strangely and Timmy frowned. Cosmo and Wanda flinched, looking at each other and talking telepathically.

"What's so bad she needs you guys?" he scoffed.

"I don't know, sport," Wanda said. "We're technically only standing in for Cal…"

" 'Cuz Jorgen's ignoring us," Cosmo scoffed.

"Cosmo and Wanda- _help_!"

"Oh…" she looked at her husband. "Cosmo, what do we do?"

"How should I know?" he said. "You're the brains. I'm just the pretty face."

"If we don't show up, he could kill her," she said, swallowing hard.

"And if we do, he could kill _us_," he retorted. "Plus, Timmy's our godchild, not Tootie."

"Don't you think I know that?" she shot back.

"Cosmo, Wanda- please, for the love of-" her cry was choked off and the faeries exchanged a look. They waved their wands and vanished, spreading faerie dust everywhere. Even though Timmy was in collusion with The Other, even though he'd spent the entire summer ignoring and belittling them, even though he'd originally plotted to kill them…he couldn't help but feel betrayed.

To no one, he muttered, "But…Cosmo and Wanda are_ mine_…"

* * *

Hand around her windpipe, he had changed his mind on not killing her. The world would be better off without her. He'd severed the link between Tootie and Timmy, and he could draw the magic out of her this way. He looked up to discover Cosmo and Wanda floating there, wands in front of them. Wanda had cast away the precious book Tootie had recovered and sent it elsewhere, probably to Timmy's house. He released Tootie's throat and, for a moment, shared the same confusion as Timmy.

"You're not _her _godparents," he said. "Why should you come for her?"

"Because, at the moment, Tootie needs us more," she answered. "And it's your fault she doesn't have Cal."

Cosmo landed at Tootie's side and held up his wand to heal her. Lorenzo opened his mind to Timmy and his lips twitched.

((Yes, beloved,)) he sent in answer to his emotions. ((They're traitors too, so you needn't worry about hurting their feelings. They chose her over you. They love her, not you.))

He opened his eyes again and Cosmo, Wanda, and Tootie were gone. Goddamn it.

* * *

The first thing they did was heal Tootie, and then shoot off to the tree house. Once there, they collapsed on the bed.

"We shouldn't have left Timmy," Wanda said. "You saw what The Other did to him."

"Tootie needed us too…" Cosmo said. He stiffened. "Besides, she isn't trying to kill us."

"We have to tell her about the What-If Spell," Wanda said.

"Or we could let her-" Cosmo stopped, seeing the look on his wife's face. "Never mind. We should tell her."

Wanda sighed. "I just wish we had our magic back. I feel like there was something else we could have done, if only we could have broken through to Timmy."

"What makes you think we didn't?" Cosmo said and Wanda stared, mouth dropping. She blinked and he smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her. They lay side by side on the bed and he rubbed her wingtips.

"I thought…"

"Call me naïve, but if Timmy called us, there's gotta be a part of him that still wants us around, right?" he said.

"I thought you were the number one advocate of Timmy being completely under Lorenzo's control," she said.

"Oh, I am," he said. "But still…the look he had when we left…and all those weird feelings we've been getting from our wands because of him…"

"And the marks and bruises on him…" she frowned. "But how do we really know what's going on when we can't even see him three quarters of the time?"

"We don't," Cosmo said. "We have to take it all on faith." He grinned. "That's how you married me, baby."

"Yes, but you weren't plotting to kill me," she pointed out. She groaned and snuggled up against him. "I'm so tired now."

"Me too," he said. "I can barely keep my eyes open."

She sighed and shut hers. Cosmo nuzzled her neck and kissed it.

"I love…" he murmured and passed out next to her. She had a word on the tip of her tongue, but she too passed out before she spoke it.

* * *

"You saw The Other, didn't you?" Vicky snapped. Tootie, who was still recovering, gaped at her sister. Vicky yanked her up by the throat and strangled her. It was almost a shame Lorenzo had started off his relationship by raping her. They employed similar threat tactics. Tootie conceded defeat this round, however- there was no fighting Vicky in a particularly bad mood.

"_Didn't you_?" she shrieked. "That's why Cosmo and Wanda disappeared and you suddenly reappeared looking like shit."

"Why are you keeping an eye on Cosmo and Wanda?" Tootie asked.

"Because they're Timmy Turner's stupid fucking godparents and if I have to be stuck with them, I want to make sure they're not poofing off to help him hunt me down," she said.

There was no logic in that sentence and she chose to ignore it. "I brought back a book I think can help."

Vicky laughed humorlessly. "A book. A book is going to convince the twerp not to waste you and everybody else in this house. A book. What have books ever done?"

She tossed Tootie back on the bed. "You're wasting your time. He almost skewered those rotten faeries three times already. Think what he'll do to you. But oh, look, here's a book!"

She spat in her face and laughed. "Idiot."

"It _will _work," Tootie said stubbornly.

"And I'm the Queen of England," Vicky snapped. "But oh well, enjoy your little delusion while it lasts. Maybe if you're lucky, Timmy will pay attention to you long enough for him to kill you."

* * *

A small, muscular purple bird watched Cosmo and Wanda from the tree house window. He cocked his head at Wanda, who was far weaker than he had ever seen before. In his sleep, Cosmo was running his fingers over her hair and nuzzling her cheek. Bile rose in his throat. Cosmo's affection toward her sickened and angered him.

"Soon, mi amor, soon," Juandissimo whispered. "Soon you shall be mine."


	13. Bewitched, Bewildered, and Bothered

Disclaimer: You'd be astounded to learn I really don't own FOP. Just try to imagine Fairly Oddparents if I owned it. Er, never mind. It'd probably be rated R...

Chapter Fourteen: Bewitched, Bewildered, and Bothered

The life and times of Lorenzo DeMedici, a troubling patient at best. At the moment, the lovely and charming Lorenzo sat at his desk and glared at a picture of the fairies who ruined his life and the love of his life, Timmy Turner. Gorgeous, delightful Lorenzo sighed and bid the aching in his guts to subside.

((Gorgeous? Who's narrating this?)) Wanda cut in on his introspection and he jumped, startled.

((What the hell? I'm angsting here!))

((Not any more you aren't. You told Timmy you loved him?))

Darkly, he sent back, ((Was it on CNN? I told them to catch my good side. Where are my royalties, dammit?))

((You sound like a spoiled brat.))

((You sound like a dead fairy, bitch.))

((Hurts, doesn't it?)) Wanda replied. She, of course, had disregarded his last comment.

((Shut up bitch, or I'll kill you.)) Lorenzo snapped back and mentally attacked her. She withdrew and he sighed again, a soft little moan of displeasure.

_Hmm. Nice narration. At any rate, that stupid bitch should stay the hell out of my thoughts if she doesn't want to die sooner than she already is, _he thought and his eyes slid to a picture of Vicky he'd hoarded in one of his midnight rendezvous. _Yet there is something in the house worth speaking to._

He hated this reliance on others, this inability to stand on his own. Yet the idea of loving his enemy was so foreign, so completely unfathomable that he might as well seek guidance.

And who better than Icky Vicky (no longer actively upholding the former)? Even with her previous façade of cruelty, surely she knew what it was to love alone. Besides, Adult Swim was on and InuYasha was getting good, or so he'd gathered from the thirteen year old insomniacs.

Closing his eyes, he focused his energy and thoughts, directing them towards the Turner's residence. If he didn't do this right and let his emotions dominate his magic, he'd end up halfway there and halfway here. Well, no doubt Tootie would get a laugh out of it.

The basement was dark and lit by a solitary, flashing glow. Curled up on the couch, blankets about her body, was Vicky herself, nursing the remote. She seemed virtually oblivious to her surroundings and his settling down beside her went unnoticed.

"Good morning. I presume you call it that, being closer to the a.m. than to the night," The Other crooned, stood, and grabbed her about the waist roughly.

Vicky opened her mouth to scream but he placed a knife to her throat and she whimpered instead. He could feel her fear and it filled him. Timmy hadn't been afraid of him for so long he nearly forgot what it was like to instill it.

"I don't think it'll matter if you miss this," he cast about for a name and came up with one, much to his chagrin, "Kagome. Besides, I think you need to give me my proper reception. How do you do, Lorenzo?"

Vicky's expression was loathsome and he lapped it up. With every cell in her body, she hated him. The delicious hatred, juxtaposed by trepidation, completed him. To think he'd considered suffering this alone. She, in her abhorrence, could help him better than someone on his good side.

Gritting her teeth, she repeated it and every muscle in her body tightened. His right hand, previously resting on the couch, slid to her breast and kneaded it. Now he could truly feel the waves of revulsion rolling off of her.

"What is it the insipid people on 7th Heaven say? Oh, yes. 'I need help'."

_Yes, you do. Why don't you go fuck yourself and leave me alone? Better yet, why don't you die? It'll do us all a favor!_

"Why the hell would you want me? You have Timmy!" Vicky snapped back and he inherently flinched. So he was afraid of his sire now? Well, Wanda had told about the confession (she and Tootie were no longer on speaking terms again), but what a wimp! For a guy who thrived on being conceived of as evil, he certainly didn't act like it. He was acting like a scared little boy, heh.

"Tsk, tsk. I see you don't learn your lessons well," Lorenzo retorted, recovering. The blade pressed lightly into her chin and it bled. "How about another try? Say anything so incredibly stupid to me again and I'll press it every so slightly deeper in, moving down to your jugular vein.

"Come now. Don't be so cruel, love," he chortled and toyed with her nipple. She wanted to gag, but mostly, she wanted him the hell out of her basement. Damn him.

Keeping her tone level, Vicky softly replied, "What do you want with me? You already had your fun." There was a trace of bitterness present in her voice.

"Love, love," The Other drawled and slid his hand around to her back to unfasten her bra. "Fun never ends, especially with you."

"Please…" she whispered, tears blurring her vision. He looked at her in disbelief.

"Manners mean little to me. Do you really think pleading will do anything? I want you, you're mine. Got it?"

Taking a foolish chance, Vicky murmured, "You told Timmy you loved him." Maybe if she changed the subject, he'd stop.

Just as she suspected, it was foolish but not in vain. The knife went deeper, slicing off a layer of skin, but he pulled back. She caught a flicker of pain in his eyes before he turned away from her, both gasping for breath.

"Yes," The Other said flatly. "I did."

"Why?" Vicky grabbed a roll of cotton and held it to the wound to staunch the flow. Fortunately, the first aid supplies were across the room, distancing her from him.

He banged his head against what he thought was the cushion but really was the springs. "I feel like I have a fucking hangover. I don't know why I told him I love him, bitch!"

Vicky smirked, her fingers coiled around an emergency alert for Cosmo and Wanda. In the event The Other ever took another late night stroll and chanced to meet her, she could be somewhat saved. (She was naïve, give her a break. None of the three involved were too ecstatic to discuss when he'd overwhelmed them).

To himself, Lorenzo continued. "I guess because I do. I wish I knew why. I wish I knew why he makes my stomach do somersaults or why I want him all to him myself. But what good is wishful thinking?"

Her lips in a line, she swiftly pressed the red button (weren't they always red?) and waited. Lorenzo was still prattling on, oblivious.

"I wish…" Lorenzo whispered and fainted. At the very same instant, Cosmo and Wanda appeared and took in the scene before them. Vicky was pale and shaking but Lorenzo, on the other hand, looked half dead.

"He's been starving Timmy," Wanda murmured, making sure he was really out. "And taking his energy. Timmy doesn't have enough for himself, much less for a parasite."

"He's been starving Timmy? That's terrible!" Cosmo exclaimed. In the shock of hearing this, he'd forgotten Timmy was being deprived because he was training to murder him.

"Can I go?" Vicky squeaked and they turned to look at her. "I really don't want to be in the same room as him. I don't care what you do with him, just put him in a cabinet or something. He…"

"Of course, sport. Tootie's still awake. The poor girl has insomnia," Wanda said, wondering just what they were to do with The Other.

"Looking at that book," Vicky muttered in disgust and fled up the stairs.

Cosmo and Wanda exchanged glances. If The Other was in such poor shape, it couldn't bode well for Timmy. Could they risk visiting him? The barriers had to be down, what with The Other here.

"Gary…stop protecting him…" Lorenzo mumbled. "You're still there…"

_Oh, yeah, __Gary__. We forgot about him. I guess he must have run up against him._

Aloud, Wanda said nothing. She hoisted The Other up and deposited him in a locker she'd conjured. White, translucent magical ropes wrapped around him and a gag positioned itself in his mouth. Once this was done, she wiped her brow and sighed.

((What are we going to do with Gary? You did _lock _the door to Timmy's mind, didn't you?))

((Uh, _I _think so.))

((Which means you didn't.))

((Aw, he won't get out!))

((The Other did.))

Oops.

((That's all you have to say?))

((I want cheese…))

_Two evil creatures from Timmy's mind running amuck, wreaking havoc on Dimmsdale. Joy, _Wanda thought.

* * *

"I wish I knew what I was reading," Tootie muttered, the words swimming before her eyes. "All I see is French."

"Gee, that could be because it is!" Vicky snapped, leaning against Timmy's door frame. Tootie jumped, startled. Okay, so maybe she was up a little late on a school night, and maybe she wasn't supposed to be in Timmy's room, but what gave Vicky the right to eavesdrop?

"What are you doing here?" Tootie asked, guarded. She had to blink to keep her eyes open. "Shouldn't you be watching InuYasha in the basement? I heard it was getting good."

"I'm not in the basement," Vicky hissed, "because The Other is in the basement."

"Oh," Tootie said and blushed. "Sorry."

"Not as sorry as you're going to be, twerpette," Vicky threatened and, in a few paces, snatched the book out of her hands. "What do you think you're doing, practicing magic?"

"I am going to save Timmy," Tootie said defiantly and reached for the book but Vicky held it at arm's length. "He needs me!"

"He needs reality," Vicky retorted. "You have no idea how to use magic."

"I'll learn," Tootie said dangerously.

"Using black magic?" She snapped back and perused the book. "All it looks like to me is a lot of dark spells."

She was right. Even though Vicky barely knew Spanish (a romance language like French that had many similarities in roots) from high school, she didn't need to know French to understand the diagrams. Pictures of people bursting into fire; turning into horrid, scaled monsters; being disemboweled; covered in eyes; genitals where they clearly didn't belong; and painful deaths littered the pages.

"Disgusting!" Vicky cried and dropped it hastily. No wonder it came from Lorenzo's house- it had morbid and revolting written all over it.

"I didn't say it was pretty!" Tootie replied but left the book where it was. Vicky had a point.

"Go to sleep," her sister snarled and kicked the book into Timmy's video game system. "You have school tomorrow and it's one a.m."

"I-"

"And I'll stay here…" Vicky whispered. "Away from The Other…"

Tootie looked up at her and gauged her reaction. Bad? Yes. The Other had to have tried to hurt her again (which was rather obvious given the cotton roll clutched to her throat). But it must have been more serious than the throat wound.

Eyes averted, Tootie slid out of his bed and slowly, sadly, walked to her room. (However, she was careful to sneak the book under the folds of her skirt). Disused to staying up late, she fell asleep in mid-step. Vicky caught her and carted her off to bed.

Slipping in beside her, she wrapped her arms around her sister and wished she could sleep.

* * *

They found him staring, mouth agape, at the ceiling. A trickle of drool slid down his cheek and Cosmo, always one to jump to conclusions, thought he was brain dead. Wanda said nothing but privately agreed.

His face was pale white, almost the same level of pallor as his parents. Skin hung on his bones and his breath was ragged. Eyes bloodshot, they surmised he was not only being deprived of food but also sleep.

"I wish…Mom and Dad…" Timmy whispered, rasping.

_He's dying. Oh, my poor Timmy! _Wanda thought and rushed to his side, clasping his hand. It didn't bother her he hadn't called for them. Naturally, when children were sick, they wanted their parents and who was she but a surrogate?

"He won't kill anyone in that condition, that's for damn sure," Cosmo muttered and floated above his godchild. Unlike Wanda, he didn't dare to touch him.

"Except maybe himself," Wanda murmured back and wiped his forehead, slick with sweat.

"Mom…Dad…miss you…Cosmo 'n Wanda…Lorenzo said…wrong…"

They exchanged troubled looks and Wanda's right hand, gripping his tightly, squeezed it. This had to be his subconscious speaking through dreams, but why did his speech mannerisms resemble Gary's instead of his own? Something peculiar was happening.

"Not cool…Tim-Tim can't die…not on my terms…he's mine. Lorenzo…back off…things'll get nasty if you don't…"

There was no doubt left. Gary, for some mysterious reason, was attempting to prolong Timmy's life. Why had it taken so long for him to surface (especially considering Cosmo had left the door open more than two years ago)? More importantly, why was he saving Timmy?

"Cos…Wan…(Gary's nicknames for them, she remembered)…I wish…food…"

"Done," Wanda said, slightly hesitant. "What happened to Timmy?"

A giant banquet appeared to the left of Timmy's bed and Timmy/Gary flipped over on his stomach; his eyes widened as he took in the sheer amount of food in the feast. Food, finally he could eat! No more starvation, no more hunger pains, and no more weakness. Food!

Wanda pulled it back, astonished at the hunger in his eyes. With that look, he could not only consume the meal, but the plates, the cloth, and even the table itself. She knew if someone had gone for this duration without a suitable diet, they would be unable to hold it down.

Cosmo, who snatched a fried chicken wing and was currently breaking it down into its fundamental element, the bone, froze and stared. What do you think you're doing? He's hungry!

((If he eats a great deal,)) Wanda said, explaining it as simply as she could. ((He'll only throw it back up. His stomach shrank and it won't hold much.))

((Stomachs shrink?))

((Yes,)) Wanda replied, slightly exasperated.

((I didn't know that!))

"Wan…Wanda, what are you doing? How long have you been there?" He lunged for a drumstick but fell off the bed and onto the carpet. He propped himself up on his elbows and glared at the bottom of the table as if it was the reason for missing.

"Mmm, good," Cosmo said, enraptured and ignoring the melodrama.

Deciding to take a page of Cosmo's book, Wanda ignored the testosterone and handed her godson a yogurt. Being of a liquid constitution, his stomach could perhaps digest it easier; at least, this was the theory. Whether it worked in practice was, as usual, a different matter altogether.

"Yogurt?" Timmy said suspiciously and sniffed at the lid, attempting to detect poison.

_You're trying to kill us. We're not trying to kill you. _"Yes," Wanda said stiffly, "it's yogurt. It's not poisoned and it's the only thing you really should be eating right now."

"You call _this_," Timmy snapped, holding the container at arm's length as though it was a bomb, "food?"

"Yeah, it's liquid food," Cosmo grinned.

Losing his temper, Timmy retorted to both the stupidity and Wanda, whom he considered beneath him, "I want real food, bitch, not this crap."

He then flung it into the wall, where, luckily, it remained whole and salvageable. Wonderful, he was having a temper tantrum. Perhaps it came with the territory of staying in a spoiled, conceited, worthless, anti-fairy's house.

"Not cool, Tim-Tim. Cos and Wan have nothin' 'gainst you and you're dissin' them. They're tryin' to rescue you, not kill you," Gary hissed in response. Eyes narrowed unpleasantly, he seethed inwardly at his creator's foolishness.

"Gary?" Cosmo inquired, a block of cheese halfway to his mouth. Blinking in confusion, he beheld Timmy's transformation into the cool, imaginary friend, the one he had accidentally forgotten to banish.

"It's all good. Yo, Cos!" Gary said, smirking.

"So, Timmy's sharing his body again, evidently," Wanda remarked.

"Nah. He's too weak to really protest (much) and The Other's pissing me off. What with all the magic 'round here. I could break out if my ole friend wasn't half dead. And, on that note, could you pass me the yogurt, babe? Thanks."

"Blech, yogurt," Cosmo said, pulling a face. "Health food."

"Yogurt's not cool," Gary agreed, "but Tim's starving, so it'll do." He moved into a sitting position, snatched a metal spoon and dug in.

"What do you mean (and I use your phrasing, not my own) 'pissing me off'?" Wanda asked, grabbing a Macintosh apple.

"He's all possessive and stuff. It's like he can't stop kissin' Tim. Totally creepy," Gary answered, savoring the yogurt (it was peach flavored, his favorite).

She nodded, simply indicating she was listening, but refrained from speaking. Truth be told, she'd an inkling of the extent, but Gary, in all likelihood, knew more than she and Tootie combined. Whose side was he on, anyway?

"Yo, Timmy's all, like, oblivious. He only notices his mom and dad and Trix," Gary continued, putting the yogurt to the side on the mahogany table stand next to his bed.

"Timmy's mine and Lorenzo should back off. Timmy made me first. 'Sides, Timmy will never love him like he loved me…" Gary trailed off, a trace of jealousy apparent.

"You'd think he'd be grateful. Timmy gave him life. That's why I'm savin' him- the least he deserves is a level playin' field. Of course," Gary snorted, "Timmy doesn't know I'm here."

"How long?" Wanda murmured, tentative to break the awe filled silence.

"Since Cos here-" (insert dirty look), "-left the door open. I've been bidin' my time, see? The Other ain't a jem to deal with.

"I could kill Timmy if I wanted to. He's headin' for death at this rate, but it ain't worth it, not in this state. Yo, but I'll keep him from dyin'. Can't promise much else. And I got nothin' against you two, neither. Come 'round again when The Other ain't here. It beats Toot spyin' and gettin' in trouble," Gary said and smiled at the long table. Food, delightful food…

"Er, thanks," Wanda said, staring, her mind processing all he had said.

"Mmm, good grub," Cosmo said through thick slices of Swiss.

((Leave some of that for Timmy!)) Wanda admonished.

"Gary isn't hungry, are you, Gary?" Cosmo replied aloud, rendering Gary quite puzzled. Like the situation where Tootie's wrist had broken, he sensed an undercurrent of communication but its nature was veiled. If these two possessed it as well, it could not be malevolent. However, it made no difference at the moment, so it was best to pay no heed to it until it gained importance.

"I sort of am hungry. Unlike The Other, I need to eat. When Tim came up with me, he made me virtually normal. I can do almost everything a human does with a few exceptions."

"Cool," Cosmo said, still eating much to Wanda's annoyance. She snatched the piece, mostly untouched, from his hand and placed it back on the table.

"Totally."

"When you say 'virtually normal', what exactly do you mean?" Wanda queried, a slight frown twisting her lips.

"He's Gary. He's too cool to be completely normal," Cosmo countered. "You know, Gary, from the room, and the food and-"

The person he was fawning over cut him off. "I have some magical powers. Nothin' too big, but I was given them when Timmy got picked on by Francis. But I have no idea what they are."

Wanda opened her mouth to try to figure out the specifics but a sudden hunch from Cosmo halted her. They were needed elsewhere right now and besides, Gary was fully capable of taking care of himself, or so she hoped.

Tootie. Something, she's got herself mixed up in something she can't control. Ugh, I can't explain. I'll just show you.

In her mind's eye, Tootie whispered ancient French words, spells of a long forgotten era, only phantoms of their former selves. Dangerous though they were if uttered correctly, she had mispronounced nearly every word, increasing the danger. Eddies of a malignant current swirled about her and her slumbering sister. This striking shift from the wrong color to the correct one and back again flickered in and out of her vision, alerting Wanda to the possible ramifications of such drastic misuse. What book had she taken?

"We have to go," Wanda said quickly, blinking to remember where she was. The vision had been so powerful, she'd forgotten her place.

"Yeah, don't eat all the food while we're gone," Cosmo teased.

They vanished and Gary, with a sigh, sank back into the pillow. "Tim-Tim, Cos and Wan are cool. They're showin' you love, why are you doin' this? Makes me wish I had enough power to take on The Other and snap some sense into you."

* * *

"'Dissmo? What are you doing?" Remy asked, watching the frowning fairy mix a purple concoction into a beaker holding a pink liquid. Steam ensued.

"I am busy, young one. Go to bed," Juan replied, only half attentive to his godson.

"But I want you to come with me," the towheaded boy whined and ogled the flasks. What on earth could his fairy be doing that was so important? Why were these two colors crucial? And, off to the side, there was an isolated test tube of pure green, what was this?

"Go to bed," Juan snapped and dropped the green flask by accident. Its essence vanished and rejoined the pink's. He swore in Spanish and began his experiment anew. If only Remy weren't leaning over his shoulder and making him nervous!

"All you've done since we've met is work on that," Remy complained, pointing to the various laboratory implements. "I never get to see you."

Sighing, the muscular fairy planted a kiss on his godson's head and resumed his careful calculations. "Soon, I promise. Just wait. I will be there in a minute."

_Soon, my Wanda, soon._

* * *

A rainbow wave rippled through her body and she shuddered in pleasure. Such power! Now she knew why others sought it. The exhilaration- Tootie could remain in this moment forever as a magical conductor in her own private symphony.

"Tootie!" Vicky, struggling to sit up, screamed. "What the hell are you doing?"

Tootie pivoted and the wave engulfed her. Books flew as though caught in a cyclone and one swooped, narrowly missing her sister. Magic unlocked the window and a strong gust whipped around the room.

Vicky cowered inherently. _What the hell has she done this time? I told her! But would she listen, no! Heh, sort of reminds me of myself._

A book swung like a pendulum and knocked Tootie out cold. She would have hit the floor and suffered a mild concussion had Wanda not appeared in the nick of time. Both fairies watched the storm taper and then, finally, vanish all together.

"Is she all right?" Vicky asked, huddled under the sheets. Every once in a while, Tootie's head would jerk violently, giving her elder sister a start. In her humble opinion, she was far from fine.

Cradling her godson's love, Wanda frowned, the half moon illuminating her features. "She's used magic far too powerful and lost control of it. Besides, that particular book was banned."

((Why?)) Cosmo asked.

"Why?" Vicky asked aloud.

((Don't you remember? It killed Jorgen's mother's anti-fairy. She, like Tootie, used a spell she couldn't control.))

((Right…))

((You don't remember at all, do you?))

((Nope!))

Wanda heaved a mental sigh.

Meanwhile, Vicky flipped through the pages again. "I think I know why. This stuff is pretty morbid. (This is why I shouldn't have started looking at it again). It's all in French, too. How are you supposed to know what you're reading?"

Shuddering as the events surrounding the "inexplicable" death replayed in her head for Cosmo's benefit, she placed a still quivering Tootie on the bed and retrieved the text. Conjuring up a plastic bag, she then shoved it unceremoniously inside and sealed the bag. In a case involving "La Morte Verit" ("The Veritable Death", its English title), it was best not to take any risks, slight as they might appear on the surface.

"All the old magic books were in French, supposing if you were serious enough about attempting it, you would first learn the language and know what you were getting yourself into before committing to it. However, as the French fell from favoritism in Fairy World, English replaced it. Casters taught by the "new" French volumes were said to possess malevolence.

"As you can see, the one Tootie stole is rather gruesome. Every one written in French with such," (Wanda swallowed hard), "graphic depictions could only be dark magic smuggled in through the Anti-Fairy and Fairy World border. The house we mistakenly sent The Other to must have been a remnant from the time when not all anti-fairies were strictly fairy-like in appearance (hence The Other's human physique)," Wanda finished.

"I knew she shouldn't have gone to The Other's house!" Vicky snapped.

((Oh, she's not gonna like it when we tell her we let Tootie do it, is she?))

((Hush. We thought she was going to take the Faerie Magic book, which she might have if she had gone to the library instead of checking on Timmy. Hmm. Her wrist is at an odd angle.))

So it was. Whomever had fixed it hadn't done a bang up job on the mend and one bone protruded strangely. It looked, to even the untrained eye, as if someone had broken it then attempted to rectify the situation. But Lorenzo couldn't have done it, he would have boasted of his achievement.

"What spell did she cast, anyway?" Vicky asked, examining her sister's wrist and eliciting groans from the poor girl. Obviously, she was moving something incorrectly, but what it was was beyond her.

"I guess we'll find out. I don't speak French well, myself," Wanda said with a shrug. She cast one last glance at the two and sighed. "I think I'd better play guard duty in case The Other wakes during the night."

"Where did you put him, anyway?" Vicky asked.

"Did you do what I suggested?" Cosmo inquired, full of excitement at the thought.

"No. He's in a cupboard. Cosmo, what you suggested was illegal! Not to mention traumatizing."

"Aw," Cosmo sighed, snapping his fingers together. "But it sounded so good."

"What did?" Vicky said, frowning. "Huh?"

"Cosmo wanted to launch him, completely naked, over Dimmsdale Junior High's fence during recess."

Vicky giggled (both at the idea and Cosmo, who was pantomiming what would happen if he had gotten his way). "Why not?"

Wanda blushed. "Well, partly because I don't care to see him naked and partly because- Oh, stop that, Cosmo!"

Cosmo froze in mid-wand swing, enacting Crocker's reaction. Images, including one of a screaming nurse, dissipated under Wanda's reproachful glare.

"Well, I guess I'd better go," Wanda poofed herself out and into the basement. It was going to be a long night and an even longer morning. Although she was a more suitable choice than Cosmo to deal with him, she didn't relish the thought. Still, probing him with no defense might prove useful.

* * *

"I can't fucking breathe in here!" Lorenzo screamed and glared at his badly lit surroundings. He went to feel a bruise on his temple but found himself at a loss to move his arm. He was bound from head to toe. What the fuck? What happened last night?

"Morning," a female voice said coldly. Through a slot in the cabinet, he spotted pink hair, swirly pink hair. If only he could reach through the slot and strangle her with it!

"Get me the fuck out here, bitch," he spat and slammed against the door. "This isn't fucking funny!"

Wanda laughed and it grated on his nerves. Goddammit, she had the advantage and he hated it. He wanted to scream, to shove himself against the door and slash her to ribbons, but he felt strangely empty, like he had no energy. What was this feeling?

"I disagree. Do you have any idea what you did last night?" _Grand, his banal remarks have rubbed off on me._

He couldn't reach his knife, concealed in his pocket, and thus, couldn't pry the door open. At the moment, empty, he was at her mercy. What a horrid situation.

"Fuck off, bitch. I have a school to run and a pink hatted boy to corrupt."

"You really love him, don't you?" Wanda said softly. "That's what Gary thinks."

Inside the cabinet, Lorenzo blanched. She knew about Gary (well, the love part he knew already, so it wasn't as startling). Cornered, he decided to do what he did best, lie and deny.

"You know nothing, frach," Lorenzo spat.

Bristling from the insult (frach was a derogatory term, a slur, for a fairy godmother composed by a troll on the rampage and it really stung), Wanda decided to refrain from shoving her wand down his throat and continued unabashed. She'd get him with her later questions. "But yet you've been starving him."

Taken by surprise, The Other blurted, "Huh?"

"Humans need to eat. You don't give him anything nourishing and you steal his energy. You're killing him."

_He should have said something. I would never have done that to him if I knew. _"I don't care. He should have known what he was getting himself into. It's not my fault."

Frustrated beyond belief, Wanda ripped the door open and glared. Using her wand, she spun him around (backhanding him for the slur, and, oh, did it feel good) so he couldn't avert his gaze. Keeping him there hadn't been her idea, it had been Vicky's right off the bat. She, apparently, hadn't thought clearly.

"You're acting as his guardian and yet insist it's not your fault?" Wanda snapped and cast a truth spell, a Vrai in old magic terms, on him. She needed answers and he wasn't going to provide them unless forced.

"It might be!" Lorenzo retorted and gasped. "What did you do to me, bitch?"

"Now you can't lie," Wanda replied coolly. "No matter how hard you try. You know about Gary?"

Bitterly, defeated, he responded, "Yes." If she thought she was going to drag more than a few words of truth from him, she was sadly mistaken. No one got the facts from him, no one.

Wanda processed this and the adamant expression. Carefully selecting her next words, she bit her lip and frowned. Although he couldn't lie, he could always remain silent and she didn't have an infinite amount of time to question him and try to trick him into responding. Tootie needed her and Cosmo wasn't the most reliable fairy to take care of her (Vicky was off somewhere, she hadn't told them where she was going).

"You love Timmy," Wanda murmured, trying to stay on his good side but she needn't have bothered. Since her birth as a female (or so The Other's reasoning went), she was condemned due to her gender. There was also a small matter of her not granting him his freedom two years ago.

"Yes! Jesus fucking Christ, we were over this!" Lorenzo shrieked, instantly on guard. Why not whip all his secrets out for the world to see? Fucking frach. Yes, Timmy was his enemy, and, yes, he'd fallen for him. Did she have to rub it in?

"When you're defensive, you tend to curse more," Wanda noted. "Just an idle observation."

"Why the fuck should it concern you?" He retorted, suddenly surly.

"He's my godchild and, even with all he's been brainwashed into believing by the likes of you, I love him. It's unconditional."

"There's no such thing," he scoffed and wouldn't meet her eyes. He could see the passion in them, the warmth radiating from them. It disgusted him, and, on some weird level, pained him. He could never love Timmy like that, the only love he could offer him was cold and unfeeling. She was this benevolent figure and what was he but a shadowed one, clocked in hatred and vengeance.

"If you love him so much, why do you hurt him?"

"You wouldn't understand." _I want him to be perfect. The only way he can be is through trials. If I make him stronger, he wouldn't suffer from imperfection and love._

"Try me." _It's not as though you can leap up and run away._

Silence reigned. For a moment, Wanda thought it would remain that way. She was partly right. Lor couldn't verbalize his response, not to her.

"I wish I were at home," he muttered, recalling that, due to being a part of Timmy, his wishes had to be granted.

"One last question and this, you must answer."

_Oh, grand. The frach is giving me limitations. What on earth can she subject me to which she hasn't already plagued me with? Goddamn bitch._

"Can Timmy really kill us?" She asked, trembling. Her whole body quaked at the thought.

"Yes."

* * *

Seven thirty a.m. and Timmy stretched luxuriously, barely suppressing a scream. He was seeing things, oh, he hoped so. Tootie's face was everywhere.

He shifted and the eyes trailed him. This did it- he'd officially gone insane. Well, perhaps not, perhaps he wasn't the only one who could see her. Perhaps, a small voice dared to ask, his parents could as well.

"Mom? Dad?" Timmy called, wincing. The faces, scowling, shot him a nasty look.

"What is it, honey?" Mrs. Turner asked, troubled with the way her son's eyes darted back and forth as though he were hunted.

"Do you see Tootie everywhere?" Timmy asked, on the verge of a panic attack.

"We don't get out much, being dead and all," Mr. Turner said, floating on the left of his wife.

"That's not what I meant! I mean, everywhere…" Timmy whispered, fearing the faces could eavesdrop. Sure, the idea seemed absurd, but you have to remember he saw about forty versions of his love around the room.

"No," Mrs. Turner said slowly. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I think I need to wash my face to wake up some more, yeah," Timmy said and bolted to the bathroom. If he thought some water would refresh him, he was wrong, for peering out of the medicine cabinet mirror was Tootie, eyes narrowed despairingly.

"My God!" Timmy breathed and fell on the toilet seat, furiously rubbing his eyes. "I'm going crazy!"

Off of every reflective surface was her face, all wearing identical expressions of discontent. While they were mute, their eyes followed him, damning him. He shut his eyes and Tootie appeared on his eyelids.

"Go away…go away…" he whimpered. "Leave me alone!"

She ain't goin' away, Tim-Tim. Why don't you admit it? You've finally cracked. I mean, who really sees their girlfriend everywhere?

She isn't my girlfriend! Trixie is! Get out of my head, Gary, he snarled.

I think you need to deal with a great deal of things that are unpleasant. Speaking of which, perhaps you'd better keep your eyes peeled. You might start seeing things you don't want to.

Mouth agape, his glance glued to the cabinet, Timmy trembled. An ominous feeling rose in his chest and he swallowed hard. By the prickling of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes.

If he thought he could escape the insanity in school, he was wrong. There was no rest for the weary, no respite for the wicked. Here, there, everywhere, was Tootie's face. He actually dropped his lunch tray on Trixie's head because he saw Tootie glaring back at him.

However, there was, as always at the end of the day, training. If he beat the crap out of something, it would take his mind off of things. Yes, the training was his salvation.

Seven o'clock, well, actually seven-oh-five because he'd taken a slight detour to avoid the glass covered greenhouse. Still, there he was, a sword held firmly in front (Timmy flinched, Tootie's face was on it). "This is our last training session for the day (usually there were two or three, culminating in Timmy's collapse at around twelve). Then, you'll have dinner and I'll, well, never you mind what I do, it's none of your business."

Timmy, a shield on his left arm (he avoided looking at it, fearful of what he might see) and some sort of yellow blade in his right hand (thankfully, this carried no reflection) which acted as a mood indicator, stared at his mentor. His breath was ragged even though no formal training had begun- he'd found himself growing shorter and shorter of breath lately and Tootie's face abound was making him a bit paranoid. Truth be told, these aforementioned two things didn't bother him nearly as much as Lorenzo mentioning food, simply because they never ate.

"Well," The Other snapped after a moment's pause, "are you going to fight or wait until Butch Hartman can draw?"

Timmy lunged (though whether it was for Butch Hartman's, a good friend of his, honor or his own was impossible to determine), a predictable lunge, and The Other veered a little to the left. Propelled by his momentum, the pink hatted boy stumbled and ran smack into the wall. Lorenzo smirked, wishing he had a recorder so he could replay it.

"Well, I must say the poor wall smarts a great deal because that was a mighty blow you dealt it," The Other quipped and Timmy spun around.

"I think you should know the wall can't fight back nor is it your fairy godparents. Focus!" Lorenzo hissed. _And get your damn sword out of the wall. It's plainly wedged. How embarrassing._

Timmy, belligerent, moved so swiftly The Other couldn't parlay his advance. The blow caught him off guard and reacted instinctively, delivering a nasty uppercut. The younger boy skidded but held his ground.

_Oops. Didn't mean to hit him. Oh, never mind. Time for a little magic. _Aiming squarely where his protégé stood, Lorenzo pointed and the floor beneath Timmy caved. Fortunately, Timmy leapt to safety and deflected the subsequent energy blast in the form of purple (purple? Wasn't that Tootie's favorite color?) arrows.

"Good, good. I think it's time for the dummies," Lorenzo smirked and Timmy, atop the weaponry, paused.

"Well, where are they?" Timmy asked, looking about for the replicas.

"That's where you come in, darling. Call them." _Because they certainly won't come to me if _I _called them._

"What do you mean?"

"Call them!" Lorenzo barked.

"Who?"

_For the love of all things evil and the hatred of all things good. _"Cosmo and Wanda, you dolt!" Lorenzo retorted, his patience and good mood wearing thin.

"Oh, yeah, _them_."

Lorenzo shook the shelf and Timmy tumbled to the floor. He stared up at the anti-fairy in bewilderment. Why had he knocked him off? And just how was he supposed to know Lorenzo was referring to Cosmo and Wanda?

Just a hunch, but I think that's what you're training for!

"Oh, uh, okay. Cosmo and Wanda…" Timmy called, and, after a brief delay, they appeared.

"Why are we here?" Cosmo asked, completely baffled.

"Hmm. We were put on hold and I don't much fancy waiting. Perhaps allowances should be made, however. I doubt your active sex life will last into death," Lorenzo smirked and scooping up Timmy gently, shoved him forward.

Wanda, face as pink as her hair, jumped in surprise. Timmy looked positively feral and she could easily imagine the foam forming in his mouth. She didn't much like the shifting shape in his right hand, either.

"What's the matter, frach? Don't like the 'transistor'? It can alter into any sort of weapon the user desires. I should know, I read the brochure when I stole it from Fairy World's armory."

"You were in Fairy World?" Cosmo said, aghast. (Wanda was far too occupied with the knife to comment).

"Is there an echo in here? No, fool, I went to Retroville to pay Jimmy Neutron a visit. Of course I went to Fairy World!"

Now, I think you're ready to deal with the threat, the cunt. I'll quickly disperse the idiot. Remember, at the moment, the point is not to murder, simply to instill fear. The murder part doesn't come until next week, so don't get ahead of yourself.

Timmy did as he was bidden. The blade, now a fairy wand, stole Wanda's own and cut it into two. She retreated, unarmed. Reasoning was out of the question considering the mad look in his eyes.

"Timmy," Wanda squealed and the blade, converting itself into a metal net lined with spikes, clamped down on her. "You don't want to do this."

"Fat chance, bitch," Timmy spat and the net narrowed, cutting her face and leaving deep gashes. _What am I doing? Wanda! My head hurts…_

"Timmy!" Wanda pleaded, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "This isn't you! Please…"

He turned from her (the net released its hold slightly) and wiped his face. Tears kept coming. Wanda. Her wand slipped from his grasp and rolled towards her.

Meanwhile, Lorenzo had had an easy win (or so he thought), Cosmo now a heap on the floor. He was just about to celebrate his victory and check on his beloved (the net was only loosely on Wanda now, Timmy losing control of his emotions) when the door to the shed slammed open and Tootie, "Mom", and "Dad" strode in. Cosmo stirred for it had all been an act and snatched his wand, releasing Wanda completely.

"Forget the frach! Get her!" Lorenzo snapped, glowering at Tootie.

Wanda bristled at the insult and glanced towards her godson. He had his face pressed against the wall and his shoulders shook with sobs. If she really strained, she could make out her and Cosmo's names. He was breaking apart at the seams, his conscience finally catching up with him.

"Miss me?" Tootie whispered, walking over to Timmy. She longed to put her arms around him but remained a foot away. "You haven't seen me for a good thirty seconds."

Clenching her wand tightly, Wanda shut her eyes and synchronized with Cosmo. He was ready, Timmy's parents were ready, it was time. "NOW!"

The world went pitch black and Timmy slumped against Tootie. He collapsed before she and she kissed away his tears before she fainted herself.


	14. The What If Spell

_Italics _indicate a flashback/memory

When in a memory, regular font will indicate a thought.

Author's Note: I will say only this. The what-if spell is the possible future if Timmy succumbs to Lorenzo, but not actually occurring in the story. Confused? Let me put it simply- it's just a goddamn spell!

Disclaimer: Yes, I don't own, very good.

Chapter Fifteen: The What-if Spell

The first thing Timmy Turner knew was, aside from no longer being in Kansas (as if he were to begin with!), the smell of decay and rain. Donned in black from head to toe, he watched the rain wash away the grime on the headstones and shuddered. Behind him, nature ceased and Lorenzo tapped his foot impatiently.

"Come. We have other business to attend to," The Other said crossly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It does not do to dwell on what might have been."

"But how?" Timmy asked, his eyes riveted to the names. "How did it fail? What did we do wrong? How...?"

"It was a doomed prospect to begin with. Come now, love, the day grows long and your parents have nowhere to go any more. You can see them again tomorrow."

"How…?" he whispered, holding back tears. "How did it go wrong?"

I wish I knew why…

"We'll visit Trixie tomorrow," Lorenzo murmured and kissed Timmy's temples. "She like A.J., Chester, Sanjay, Elmer, Miss Waxelplax, and Juandissimo have nowhere to go."

Timmy nodded in agreement and didn't look behind him. He never did any more if he could help it. If he had, he would have seen the seven new gravestones receive their first rainfall of summer.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I see you're back," Remy snapped, holding up his hand to try and bar their entrance. Beside him, Gary leaned against the iron fence and held what strangely resembled a golden earring like one of Wanda's. Both wore sullen, defiant looks and clasped hands.

"I see you're not leaving," Lorenzo retorted and advanced, his arm strongly wrapped around his territory. "Is this a new boyfriend of yours, Remy?"

Remy glared and moved closer to Gary. "It is no business of yours."

"I ask only because the last one was yours only for a few weeks before something tragic happened to him. Then there was the one before…"

"You happened to them!" Remy snapped and squeezed Gary's hand. Gary, however, showed no sign of attraction. Quite the opposite, he had eyes only for Tootie and vengeance only for Timmy.

"_I _happened to them? You give me too much credit. Any fool within range of a bullet _might _have dropped dead, but your boyfriends just had a penchant for being intimate with them."

Timmy? Hello, blockhead. The Other's massagin' your shoulder and you're just standin' there? It's nice to know you don't care! Gary snapped and Timmy's head hung low.

"See what you've done? You've made poor Timmy depressed. What sort of sick human being would accuse me of wrong doing? I've never done anything immoral, indecent, or illegal in my life."

"Bull shit! You killed Juandissimo!" Remy screamed, his eyes burning with an intensity matched only by Gary's loathing of Timmy right now. "You stood there and watched him die! I hate you!"

The Other smirked and pulled Timmy closer, eliminating any space between them. "Your complaint has been noted."

Bile rose in Timmy's throat and he shut his eyes tightly to reality. What was wrong with him, being repulsed by Lorenzo like this? He'd taken him, taught him how to fight, and…forced him to kill two innocent creatures. No! It was needed, it was a deal.

What's the matter? Are Remy and Gary bothering you? I could arrange it so they never bother you again. Would you like that?

No, I wouldn't. I mean, Timmy stammered as Lorenzo began to rework his mind yet again. Sure, do what you will.

Thank you, He sent back and then scowled. Tootie, as usual, was trying her damnedest to get through to her love. Not another plea…

No, it wasn't. Timmy recognized this memory as did Lorenzo. It had begun at the same place where Remy and Gary stood now.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ "This place gives me the willies," Sanjay proclaimed and shuddered, watching a crow settled down on a branch and fall off, dead. It joined a pile of dead crows, their little feet in the air._

_ "Remember, we're here to see Timmy, not to-" A.J. swallowed hard and spun his friends around. Also in a heap was a collection of candy bags from last week's Halloween. There was blood on them and a pink ribbon._

_ "Dude, that really looks like Trixie's bow," __Chester__ said and stepped back. "I'm not sure we're doing the right thing here."_

_ "Of course we are! We're here for Timmy!" Tootie cried. Her eyes were dull and she appeared to have cried a great deal. Of the four present (Elmer had disappeared yesterday and no one seemed quite sure where he went), she alone knew of Cosmo and Wanda's deaths. She alone bore the burden and it slowly killed her._

_ "We can't abandon him in his time of need!" A.J. agreed. "Are you with us or not, you guys?"_

_ "I suppose I am in," Sanjay said, casting a disparaging glance at many, many foreboding signs and clenching his fists tightly. "But this surely is not-"_

_ "__Chester__!" A.J. inquired, frowning slightly and tapping his foot. "I need an answer."_

_ "I guess," the towheaded said, running his hands over his upper arms to create some sort of warmth. _There's something not right with that house and DeMedici. People have a habit of meeting him and not coming out alive.

_"Then let's go," Tootie murmured and shifted her purple bag back onto her shoulder. An errant tear trickled her cheek but she ignored it. She didn't care any more, she didn't want to care any more. Goddamn Timmy…_

_ "Are you all right?" Sanjay asked, scrutinizing the bespeckled girl. "You look ill."  
  
_

_ "I'm fine!" Tootie snapped loudly and bit her lip. "Leave me alone!"_

_ A.J. nodded and pushed the gate open. It squeaked on the hinges and all four jumped. When they did, Tootie's sleeve dropped down and A.J. stared- there were deep gashes on her wrists, only caused by a razor._

_ "You're cutting yourself?" the African American boy demanded and the three boys turned to face her. This was serious. Did everything going on cause to feel she had to inflict pain upon herself?  
  
_

_ Tootie's head hung low and she sobbed silently. Timmy, he'd done it to her. He'd hurt her so badly but it was time to pick up the pieces. There was so little hope left…_

_ Before any one could respond (and Sanjay had moved to slip an arm around her shoulders), the speaker system on the gate sparkled to life and a cold, cruel voice emanated from within. It sent shivers down their spines and Tootie, heedless of its iron structure, kicked the gate. She liked pain now, it reminded her there were other feelings than mind-numbing grief._

_ "Didn't you read the sign? 'All Trespassers Will Be Shot'. Honestly, what are they teaching you children in school?" Lorenzo drawled and there was a soft chuckle, barely audible._

_ Miss Wanda and Cosmo? Timmy snapped maliciously._

_ You monster! Doesn't it hurt? It aches, it kills me… Tootie responded. You, I hate you! I wish you were dead. I wish I were dead. (sob)_

_ "I'm afraid rules are rules and they were made to be obeyed. Enable the video, dear Timmy. I wish to see their final moments in crystal clarity. But, oh, get the bitch out of the way. She's still useful, for the moment."_

_ "Timmy?" A.J. cried in disbelief. "Timmy, he's insane! We're here to rescue you! Just get out of here and-"_

_ "Like I'm some sort of damsel in distress?" Timmy shot back. "Fuck that!"  
  
_

_ "This is true, you are no damsel, but Timmy-" Sanjay started but was unable to finish his thought for __Chester__ interrupted._

_ "Dude, he's threatening to kill us and you're going to-" __Chester__ started but a bullet to the brain from a hidden rifle silenced him forever. His body took forever to drop, like time suffered the same as A.J. and all that remained was __Chester__ falling, falling, dead._

_ "No!" A.J. howled in pure agony and cradled him. "No! You can't! You're not dead! Just get up and give me a smile. It's just a virtual reality game!"_

_ Poised between the open gate and the driveway. Tootie closed her eyes and kept them shut. Whatever was going on, she knew she could do little about it. She was no heroine and the part thrust upon her grew too heavy to hold. Of the four who came, she alone would survive because The Other toyed with her like a cat with a mouse and she was sick of being the girl who lived._

_ "Now, who to pick off? Hmm. Well, let's see. Choices, choices, choices. I certainly can't kill you all at once! What fun would that be?" The Other crooned._

_ "Leave the girl," Timmy said coldly, no trace of humanity left in his voice. "Let her go."_

_ "I suppose I'll take requests. Okay, Timmy, you get your wish. If I were you, Toot, I'd start running."_

_ But she stayed still, her feet glued to the asphalt. Some sort of morbid curiosity paralyzed her, forcing her to watch A.J. and Sanjay's final moments. (Later, she would discover this curiosity was actually The Other's game and his magic bound her there)_

_ "You're not going to get away with this!" A.J. snapped and cradled __Chester__'s head to his chest. His fingers traced the trail of blood from his scalp and he bent over to kiss his forehead._

_ "Oh, honestly! Is it the sole purpose of every 'hero' to cry this? No wonder all the villains are mad! I'd be insane (more insane) too if I heard that line every damn time I tried to do something! Which line would you like a response? 'You and your little dog too'? Nah, too trite._

_ "I prefer a much simpler phrase. Don't think of it as goodbye, think of it as mind-numbing pain culminating in death. Farewell, A.J. and Sanjay., we will not meet again in this reality."_

_ Tootie turned back one final time and while she did not turn into a pillar of salt, her knees weakened and she fell to them, unable to move yet again. Two shots rang out and continued to ring, forevermore, in her heart and mind. If Timmy let this happen to them, what was to become of her?_

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Somehow, he never was certain how, Remy escaped unscathed. Gary, leaning on the fence, cocked his head back and glared at Timmy. Lorenzo was nowhere to be seen as well, presumably in the mansion. There was no one there to protect him.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Timmy snapped. All he wanted was to be left alone. Memories kept flashing through his mind; terrible, horrible recollections he wished he didn't have. Wish…Cosmo and Wanda…

Instead of giving him a salutation in response, Gary punched Timmy in the stomach as strongly as he could, truly Timmy's proper reception. It was deeply satisfying, though not nearly enough to fill the anger in his heart. Gary would never rest until Timmy was dead, be it only by his own hands.

Timmy groaned, dropping to his knees. "What the-?"

"Get up," Gary snarled and grabbed him by the collar. He then slammed Timmy's head against the gate and kneed him in the groin. Still not enough…

"You killed Cos and Wan, you bastard. I'll get you if it's the last thing I ever do. Oh, and when I do, Tootie's mine," Gary snapped and dropped Timmy on the ground as if the touch burned him.

"You sicken me. I'm out." He vanished into the night but the words didn't. They reverberated in his head.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where were you?" Lorenzo demanded, adding the finishing touches to two new fixtures on the main hallway. "Remy got away, the slick bastard."

"I was…" He trailed off, looking at them. Cosmo and Wanda's decapitated heads hung from nails. The Other had even forced their eyelids open so they stared from their position. The combination was nauseating.

"You like?" The Other, poked Wanda's head, both floating above the floor. "A nice homage, don't you think? Really great, it fits the décor perfectly."

"Yeah…" Their waxen faces, frozen in the same looks they'd worn when he'd murdered them, unbidden, it brought forth another memory. Goddammit…

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Timmy crept up the wooden stairs, a scythe (really the transistor in disguise) in hand. He could hear them above, chatting anxiously in the tree house. Luckily, he'd meditated before coming (Lorenzo was a big believer in meditation- he said it cleansed the senses)._

_ Reaching the final rung, he paused. Cosmo and Wanda faced him, wands drawn. Both were crying but prepared._

_ "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on and kill us!" Cosmo snapped and Wanda scowled._

_ Gee, thanks for reminding him! Her stomach was fluttery._

_ I don't think he was coming to say hello. Or was he? Hi, Timmy!_

_ With a flip, he landed on his feet and the scythe turned into an anti-fairy weapon, a twisted sort of wand made of steel and a black star at the tip. It shortened out their wands immediately. Lorenzo had been quite proud of it of this trait. Certainly, it cut the projected times in half._

_ Taking both of them in with one glance, he seized them up. He thought he'd take Lorenzo's strong suggestion and take out the frach first. It would be much more entertaining that way._

_ Now a sword, a glorious bronze sword engraved with rubies on the hilt, Timmy squeezed it tightly and relished its cold, deadly power. It was tangible and made him feel as though his goal were as well. Deep breathing, in and out, in and out._

_ Lunging, Timmy made for Wanda but she swerved out of his way. After a few practice attacks, he caught her pattern easily and cornered her. Once she was dead, he could have his mother back._

_ The sword went forward but Cosmo pushed his wife out of the way and it plunged six inches deep into his chest instead, pinning his tie. Blood began to blossom on his white shirt and Timmy stumbled back, for the moment stunned at what he'd done. Cosmo slowly died and, for some unfathomable reason, Timmy wanted to grant his godparents one last moment._

_ Wanda caught Cosmo before he hit the wall and she broke down completely, sobbing unabashed. Her tears splattered his face and he, trembling and growing weaker by the second, wiped them away, reached up, and kissed her tenderly._

_ I love you, Wanda, Cosmo's own thoughts were rasps and his breathing extremely labored. I always did.  
  
_

_ No! Don't talk like that! We'll get you to the best doctor in Fairy World. You'll be fine! We-_

_ I'll miss being a 'we'. Of course, it was never as much as fun as 'whee'._

_ What do you mean? We'll always be together! You're not dying. You're not!_

_ I thought you were supposed to be the smart one…  
  
_

_ Cosmo! No!_

_ I think…the moon is calling…it _is_ made of cheese…I loved you, Wanda…_

_ NO!_

_ With a final jerk, his lips fell from hers as did his hand from her cheek. She felt his presence slip from her mind and his heart stop. No…_

_ "Cosmo!" Wanda screamed and kissed his still warm lips. "You're not…he didn't…Timmy couldn't have…"  
  
_

Cosmo! Say it's a joke! Say something! Cosmo! Cosmo! _She tried to send it but it wouldn't go through. He wasn't there to receive it. His mind room was empty…_

_ "Timmy!" Wanda growled and gently placed Cosmo down on their bed (she ignored the blood on her shirt which fairly sparkled with its reddish shimmer) and glared at her godson. The intensity of the glare was astounding- she looked like she could kill Timmy._

_ Footsteps sounded on the stairs and Timmy cocked his head, listening intently. Well, he hadn't thought she'd come, but the more the merrier. Whose thoughts were these? When did he stop being Timmy Turner?  
  
_

Tootie, no! _It wasn't working, she had no choice. Why couldn't she send telepathy any more?  
  
_

_ "Tootie! Get out of here!" She couldn't bring herself to say it, that Cosmo was dead. If she said it, it made his death concrete, something magic couldn't change. She couldn't handle that._

_ Wanda floated towards the door but the sword, returning to its owner by thought alone, became a scythe again and slit her throat. She was dead before she hit the floor._

_ "You!" Tootie screamed, standing on the floor not five feet from where Wanda's body lay. There were no words to express her fury, only violence. Only…_

_ Smack! She struck him hard in the chest and wrenched his arms behind his back. The transistor fell to the floor with a clang and skidded across the room._

_ Timmy tried to protect himself but she was unpredictable. Driven to the brink of insanity, Tootie hit him anywhere within reach. She'd grabbed a hunk of his hair and ripped it out, rammed him into the wall, and slammed him onto his back. _

_ This was not to say Timmy wasn't struggling as well. He'd grabbed her skirt (the only thing within reach) and tried to yank it down. She'd kicked him in the crotch and he pulled away. No way was he getting her skirt down. She'd sooner kill him first._

_ They rolled about on the floor in a tangled mess. Finally, Tootie landed a nasty kick square in his chest that sent him sprawling. He landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him._

_ Seeing her opportunity, she grabbed the transistor, a sword once again, and pressed the tip into Timmy's throat. He glanced up at her, eyes wide. Did she want to do this?  
  
_

_ Fairy blood shone on the edge and it swirled around the two. Surprised at the sudden heat building in the hilt, she dropped it and he stood. However, unlike before, his blue eyes were clear and he retreated, straight out the open door, landing on his leg. Meanwhile, the blood shimmered._

_ You have slain the innocent for your own selfish gain. You will live a cursed life until the righteous take this luxury from you._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In his room and on his bed, Timmy hugged his knees to his chest but was cautious not to move his left leg. Since the fall and subsequent poorly knitted bones, he couldn't move it much without immense pain. Only he knew it was broken, he hadn't the heart to tell Lorenzo, especially after the joyous celebration that night The Other told him they had.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_ "Did you?" The Other squealed and took a look at Timmy's black eye, absent hair, bloody clothing (all, ironically, dealt by Tootie). "You did! We must celebrate! Come on in!"_

_ Timmy didn't but moved slightly closer to the door, wincing every time any sort of pressure was applied. He'd a hell of a time getting home and the only comforting thought was his parents hugging him; his newly restored parents. The deal was done and he'd fulfilled his part so it was time to reap the benefits._

_ "I think you owe me," Timmy snarled and didn't budge from the doorway. "And you promise me it would be tonight."  
  
_

_ "But don't you want to celebrate? Work always comes after play and you need to have some champagne. Besides, all work and no play make Timmy a dull boy, or is it a serial killer? I can just never recall."_

_ "I want my parents," Timmy growled. "I won't move until you bring them to me."  
  
_

Hmm. He seems awfully determined but it's nothing a bit of alcohol won't dislodge. What's with the pained expression? Ugh, never mind that, he stinks of Tootie!

_"Timmy? Sweetie?" Mrs. Turner called and floated through the door. Instead of being almost entirely solid and requiring only a finishing spell to restore her to life, the reverse had happened and she was now a will-o-wisp, prey to a stray wind. In fact, between the light on the porch and the darkness beyond, she was hardly visible._

_ "Mom? What happened?" Timmy cried and she cringed. Mrs. Turner was having a bit of trouble keeping her particles together. The night, unfortunately, was rather gusty (not by sheer coincidence, either)._

_ "I, I must have done something wrong in the spell casting," Lorenzo stammered but he smirked slightly. He had, of course, arranged it. Uttering magic of the ancient sort in an English translation would always accomplish the inverse of the spell's original intention._

_ "I'll remedy it immediately. I would never cause you pain. I live for you and the only thing I want is for you to be happy._

_Love lorne, love lost_

_Return them no matter the cost_

_Tears shed_

_Take them instead_

_Recall their lives and regain what once was_

_ "End the pain," he chanted and then whispered the final line as Timmy's father floated through the wall to be beside his wife, "to the graves again."_

_ In a burst of cold white light, Timmy's parents dissipated and simply vanished. He felt a soft brush against his cheek and then nothing. They were gone._

_ "NO!" Timmy howled and collapsed into The Other's waiting arms. Everything was working out perfectly, just the way he'd planned it. Now that essentially all the threats were out of the way, he could have Timmy all to himself. _

_ Carrying a bawling pink hatted murderer past Timmy's bedroom, Lorenzo paused on the way to his own. Trixie was chatting animatedly and he wasn't certain he liked the discourse. Loath as he was to abandon an utterly miserable Timmy, he could always pick it up where he left off. Besides, Trixie seemed to be too poised and the information she gave seemed too covert. It was driving him mad._

_ Tenderly, he opened the door to the master bedroom (his own) and set his beloved down on the bed. The pre-teen sniffled and glanced up at Lorenzo as if to ask "Are you leaving me too?" If only he hadn't gotten lax with her control, goddammit! Timmy was in the perfect position to be seduced._

_ "I think that DeMedici guy is totally creepy. I mean , what guy wears all black and walks around with a knife in his pocket? Ugh, I think he's even training Timmy to be a serial killer or something."_

_ "Oh, my God, like, you know, I think this phone call is, like, totally over!" Lorenzo said in a mock valley girl tone and the cordless white receiver burst into flames._

_ Trixie screamed and scrambled back against the headboard. Her eyes were wide and she shook from head to toe. "What, what are you?"_

_ "Well, let's see. Would you like a full bio and profile? Really, though, such terror is unmerited. I'm only an anti-fairy bent on making Timmy my own and eliminating all obstacles. What's so twisted about that?"_

_ "You can have him! I'm getting out of here!" Trixie yelled and darted to the door. The Other, however, waltzed into the room. Fire sprung up and impeded her exit._

_ "They say parting is such sweet sorrow. I, however, feel no sentimental attachments to you whatsoever and I only kept you alive because Timmy had a fondness for you. I'm done playing around and I must concur, the time has come."_

_ "My dad has money. He'll give you money!" Trixie whimpered and held her pillow to her chest like a life preserver._

_ "Fool! I am magic! What use have I of monetary things? Don't be stupid."  
  
_

_ "Please!" She begged and began to wail in earnest. The Other shuddered for he loathed the sound of women crying._

_ "Fine," he sighed, appearing to relent as the barrier collapsed. Trixie, whispering her eternal gratitude, hurdled towards the open door when the flames reappeared and caught her half-way. There was an ear-shattering scream as Trixie Tang, the "love" of Timmy's life, was quite literally immolated._

_ On her bed (which stank of feminine "health products"), The Other watched her burn (no popcorn, he'd forgotten it in his haste). A slight smile twisted his lips while Trixie begged, screamed, and pleaded for her life. What a crybaby._

_ "Hurry up and die! You're wasting precious make out time!" The Other snarled and turned up the intensity of the flames. Before she was entirely ashes, though, he made certain to procure her ribbon, then, she was cremated. The flames vanished on their own._

_ "Shame there's no urn like in those simulation games." He magicked her remains into one, swiftly composed a condolence note ("I'm very sorry for your loss, freak fires will happen, blah, blah, blah") and sent both to the Tang mansion. If only he could be there when they awoke and see their reaction, but no. Timmy beckoned._

_ Lorenzo walked into his room where Timmy sat, curled in a ball with an accusatory glare. Damn, for what duration of time had he left him? Hmm. Well, he supposed it depended on how long it took for Trixie to die. It couldn't have been too long._

_ "You left me," Timmy said, wounded. "And I heard screaming."_

_ "It was nothing and I'm sorry. In the reverse order."_

_ "Nothing?" Timmy whispered, his eyes full of tears. Lorenzo drew him close and held him tightly. Ripples of pleasure ran up and down The Other's body._

_ "No, nothing. I think you need something to calm your nerves. There's some liquor around here. Ah, yes, in that cabinet, there it is. How do you like it?"_

_ Timmy pulled away. "Drugs are wrong. I don't need-"_

One hell of a time for that anti-drug propaganda to kick in. _"Murder is wrong. What you suffered is also wrong. Liquor will numb the pain."_

_ "I guess…" He wavered, indecisive._

_ "Atta boy," Lorenzo responded and cupped Timmy's head up so he could kiss him. Even so, Timmy hung back. Good ole alcohol would loosen some inhibitions on his part._

_ As he mixed drinks and gave him the highest proof he could find, Timmy sobbed on his bed. This was no good. He couldn't afford to leave Timmy alone with his own thoughts or else the recent events would sink in._

_ "Here," he thrust it out and Timmy sniffed it. Ugh, he wondered where the kid had picked up the habit. Of course, in this case, it truly was poison, but still!_

_ "It smells awful," Timmy groaned._

_ "You just have to get used to it."_

_ Timmy took a sip, winced, then chugged the entire glass. However, because he hadn't eaten anything the whole day or regained the weight he lost, it hit him quickly, rendering him inebriated in five minutes. As he was now drunk, he failed to realize while he'd downed the glass, Lorenzo had abstained. The Other never drank himself, only coerced his victims to._

_ "I guess it's all right," Timmy slurred and leaned against Lorenzo. "Tasted funny, though."  
  
_

_ "Aren't you cold?" Lorenzo whispered and the fireplace in the center of the room suddenly sputtered and died. Now, of course, Timmy had to be cold because the only source of heat in the room was Lorenzo. My, my, the boy was putty in his hands._

_ Shivering, Timmy fell into The Other's waiting arms and Lorenzo ran his hands up and down the boy's goose bumps. He'd studied all the effects of alcohol on the human body before even considering administering it to Timmy. There was the loss of heat, the lack of inhibition, the sluggishness of the senses, confusion, and generally everything Lorenzo looked for in a victim. This was not to say he wanted to hurt Timmy greatly, he just wanted to have his fun, that's all._

_ Timmy moaned weakly. He could feel his limbs soften and his brain became befuddled. "Tootie…"  
  
_

_ Grand, just what he wanted to hear, his lover calling out for his own beloved. Well, he'd soon fix that. He'd give Timmy a night to remember, if the alcohol lent him any recollection of the night at all. Someday, someday soon, Timmy would be boasting of his prowess, not of any girl's._

I will ignore his transgression for the moment. He clearly doesn't know what he's thinking and, as if to illustrate, his mind room has become very foggy. There's no point in sobriety, either, or he'll think of Cosmo and Wanda and the deal going sour.

_Doesn't this feel better? Lorenzo murmured, trailing kisses down Timmy's bare chest and moving his way downward. Timmy gasped, his head reeling. Of course it does. Leave everything to me, love. I'll make sure you feel good._

_ The next time Timmy awoke was to realize he had to throw up. That he did, clutching the toilet bowl for dear life, for who did he see in there but Cosmo and Wanda, silhouetted against the water._

_ Weaker than he anticipated, it was all he could do to cling to the bowl and wonder about his sanity. They spoke to him, if only he could properly listen. He leaned his head further and further in. Lorenzo wasn't awake (if he were, he would have put a stop to it immediately) so no one noticed him._

_ "Well, I guess this is where goldfish go when they die," Cosmo spat and Timmy, feeling hot all over, only groaned._

_ "You guys aren't really here. I'm hallucinating. I'm going insane."  
  
"Timmy, you have to listen to us," Wanda said softly. "There isn't much time."  
  
_

_ "Oh, like he's going to listen to us now! He didn't listen to us when we were alive; what's the chance he'll do it when we're apparitions in his toilet?" Cosmo snapped and Wanda scowled._

_ "Cosmo! Please, Timmy, just listen," Wanda said, sighing. "Although you don't really have much of a choice in the matter…"_

_ "You're not real. You're just brought on by all the rum I drank."_

_ "You had alcohol?" Wanda said, flabbergasted and immediately distrustful of the person offering it to him. "Who gave it to you?"_

_ "Well, lucky he can have alcohol, because we can't, because _we're _dead!" Cosmo snapped._

_ "Not helping, Cosmo. Did The Other give you alcohol?"_

_ "He might. I don't really remember what happened in the last twenty-four hours."_

_ Wanda sighed. "Great. So he could have done _anything _to you and you wouldn't know it. Well, believe what you want about why we're here, it doesn't matter. You still have to listen to us." She was pleading now._

_ "Yeah, and if you flush us, we won't go away!" Cosmo added._

_ "_Anyway_," Wanda said, shooting her husband a dirty look, "I think you should-"_

_ This, unfortunately, was the time Lorenzo chose to enter the room. His eyes were narrowed- he too could hear them. Damn, he should have looked up fairy murders and realized they could communicate beyond the grave. No matter, he'd dispel of them as quickly as possible._

_ "Dead fairies should tell no tales," Lorenzo snapped and flushed the toilet. They, to his chagrin, remained. "What the fuck?"_

_ "But we do. Three weeks from now, it will all be over," Wanda warned and they turned into fish and swam, gone from sight, into the U-bend. See, kids, what happens when you drink? You see Cosmo and Wanda in your toilet._

_ "'I'm just hating cryptic messages'," Lorenzo quipped and kicked the porcelain in frustration. "Like I give a fuck."_

_ Truthfully, he did. The warning disturbed more than anything, especially the look in Wanda's eyes, the forgiving look. She still loved him…_

_ "They, I killed them, didn't I?" The truth finally sank in and Timmy pushed his face so far in he nearly fell. The Other had to rescue him, pushing the seat back to its proper position in the process. He wanted no more close calls._

_ "It's Halloween! Come on now, let's celebrate!" Actually, it had ceased being Halloween a few hours ago but Timmy had lost his concept of time so it mattered little._

_ "I killed them!" Timmy screamed and Lorenzo wrapped his arms around the still shuddering boy, kissing him anywhere within reach. For the moment at least, he wasn't siphoning off energy, just mucking about in his mind._

_ "Calm down," Lorenzo whispered and clutched him tighter, their bare skin pressing against each other. "Please."  
  
_

_ "I killed them!" Timmy insisted but it was now a whimper. "And for what? I still don't have my parents."_

_ "It was a mistake," The Other lied and trailed kisses down his bare neck and back. "It never should have happened that way."  
  
_

_ His head buried in The Other's chest, Timmy whimpered. _I should stop him, somehow, but he loves me. No one else does any more…

_On the floor, Lorenzo held him and Timmy fell asleep in his arms. The odd thing was; he never stopped sobbing like his heart had broken._

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I have a present for you," Lorenzo said and threw a bundle on the bed. It rolled back and forth and emanated anger. A black pigtail stuck out and Timmy identified the bundle to be no bundle at all but Tootie wrapped up in a garbage bag.

"Don't open before December 25th," he teased and kicked her off the bed and across the room. She would have smacked into the cabinet if Timmy hadn't jumped off the bed and caught her in the nick of time.

The Other shrugged and left. "Go ahead and play. I struck her down before she got too far on our grounds. She was creeping around again. I think it's a goal for her to trespass every week. I must make a note. Today, Tootie snuck around and I captured her, November 15th."

Timmy undid the knot at the top and once she was free, she smacked him. "Don't touch me!"

"Hey, I kept you from getting knocked into the glass part of that cabinet!"

"Good job. I see The Other taught you _something_. Then again, any animal can catch; same as any animal can commit murder. Are you proud of yourself? Does it make you feel all warm and fuzzy? How are your parents? Alive and well?"

"Shut up!" Timmy roared and punched her in the face. Blood rushed through his veins and it pounded in his head.

"Are you a man now?" Tootie snapped, producing the transistor. It became a pink knife with a green hilt and both cringed. Everywhere, it seemed inescapable, the reminders were.

Although her cheek still stung a great deal, she decided to hold off on an attack for a good thirty seconds. His eyes were glued to the knife and it did more to hurt him than anything she could do right away. What a peculiar color combination the transistor had chosen- sometimes it seemed more to Tootie the weapon responded more readily to subconscious desires than spoken thoughts.

Both scarcely breathed and their eyes met. He brought his hand up again and she clenched her eyes tightly shut but he caressed her cheek instead. Skin tingled.

_Aw, forget it. He's not serious. _Tootie thought and finally clobbered him. Considering everything that had happened; she wasn't sure she wanted him to touch her, even _if _he made her heart skip beats. She wanted to hurt him but yet hold and be held by him.

In the corner, the T.V. sparked to life and The Other's face showed. Unconsciously, Tootie clung to him, seeking some sort of protection. His arm slipped about her in response and she, with a pang, remembered Vicky's warning and pulled away. He glared at her.

"Guess what? I decided this house was getting a little too empty, what with all the unexplained disappearances, so I took the liberty of inviting a guest. You might know her; she's eighteen with reddish-orange hair, a ponytail, and a green t-shirt. She answers to the name 'Vicky'. Ring any bells, Tootie?"

The camera pulled back to reveal Vicky, trembling, with a pistol held to her temple. Lorenzo had his other arm casually around her, indicating his property. Now he had the three things he'd always wanted (aside from Cosmo and Wanda out of the way) - Vicky, Timmy, and a convenient deterrent to Tootie.

"Now, you ask why it should matter. How does it affect me? Well, to put it into terms Cosmo would understand (Tootie, Vicky, and Timmy flinched), if you put one toe out of line, Toot, I'll kill Vicky. I'm sure you no longer care about your own well-being, a longer razor will produce a deeper cut there, Tootie, but can you stand another death on your head?

"Just remember, Tootie, it's all your fault. If you had been smarter, better, he would never have gone to me for help. And, if you loved him a little more, maybe he wouldn't have killed Cosmo and Wanda. Maybe the four of you would be sitting down to pizza, or whatever it is you humans eat. It's irrelevant. You ruined him, you drove him to this."

"NO!" Tootie cried and Vicky tried to say something to comfort her sister but he whispered in her ear and she froze.

"Yes, yes. You did this."  
  
A little voice in her head piped in, _He's right. I did this. I drove to Timmy to this. **I** made him kill Cosmo and Wanda, I wasn't good enough. If I had tried harder, been a little more vigilant, loved him more, I could have prevented it. It's my fault, it's all my fault._

The set switched off but not without a strangled cry. "Tootie, don't listen to him! He's lying! TOOTIE!"

"I did it…it's my fault…" She couldn't take it anymore. Standing up, she ran to the bathroom, Timmy at her heels.

"What are you-" Timmy's jaw dropped and he was unable to finish his thought. The transistor had turned into a razor, a brilliant razor with a handle of brown and it looked sharp enough to cut the tub, much less her wrists. He had no doubt what she was planning.

Tootie, you can't! Timmy sent, on the verge of desperation. The walls were closing in, his deeds were racking themselves up, stabbing him in the back. How much more of this could he take?

"You never loved me," Tootie began, tears sliding down her cheeks. "You loved Trixie, you loved your parents, but never me."

Let go of that!

"I thought, foolishly, if I was just there, it would be enough. I was wrong, so terribly, horribly wrong. I wasn't strong enough to stop you, to keep you from killing them. For that, I'm sorry."

Give to me! He started to cry despite himself and wiped his tears with his arm.

"I can kill myself thanks," Tootie said coldly and pushed him away. "I don't need your help."

On impulse, she pulled him towards her and kissed him. He could taste the salt of her tears on her lips. Her arms wrapped firmly about him and they remained for a minute this way. Finally, she disentangled herself and stood next to the tub.

"I loved you, Timmy Turner, but it doesn't look like it was enough. I guess love, for me, came at much too high a cost."

With those words, she slit her wrists, making sure to cut it at an exact angle to ensure a quick death. Timmy stood, frozen. Cosmo and Wanda's dire warning repeated in his head but he was at a loss as to what to do.

It took five minutes for her to die and when she did, Timmy took the transistor from her .He didn't know what he was going to do with it but never got the chance. The Other walked into the bathroom the split second Timmy acquired the transistor.

"A blood stain is orange once you wash it three or four times in the tub, but I dare say the tub (where Tootie's body lay), will give it a stronger scent and tint. Come on, it's time for dinner and I want you to meet my blushing bride in person. I can't wait to give her the news!"

"That's-" Timmy found his mind curiously empty. The Other still pulling the strings, he led him to the kitchen where Vicky sat, tied to a chair.

"Good news! Unfortunately, since I don't have a car, I didn't switch to Geico, but this is better." He selected a seat beside Vicky. "We only have two mouths to feed (I don't eat, remember?). Tootie's gone and committed suicide. Dreadful business, that. So sad."

"What?!" Vicky cried in dismay. "Tootie killed herself?"

"And Timmy saw it. I was speaking English before, wasn't I?" Lorenzo inquired, shifting his glance to a glum Timmy who nodded.

"You killed my sister. It wasn't enough that you killed Cosmo and Wanda, you had to kill my sister too! Are you happy now?:" Vicky spat, starting to cry despite herself.

In the brief moment when Lorenzo had forgotten to protect him, to shield him from the truth, everything sank in at once. He'd killed his godparents, lost his parents, been the cause of death for his friends, and watched his true love kill herself. For what? Nothing was worth this agony, nothing.

"I'm sorry! I didn't want this! Cosmo and Wanda, someone, save me!" Timmy sobbed, falling to his knees. Around him, the world shimmered and converted itself back to where he previously had been. He wasn't in the mansion any more but the training shed.

A dream? No, but it had seemed so real. Where were they, all of them? Could it have happened? He never meant for-

"Cosmo! Wanda!"

Wanda swept him up into a bear hug and he sobbed, both from relief and the sheer shock of the what-if spell, into her chest. He clung to her and she stroked his hair until he finally quieted and she released him.

"Are you okay, sport?" She frowned at him and Cosmo floated at her side, looking none too pleased himself.

"You're alive? Both of you?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't we be?" Cosmo replied, forgetting the spell he'd cast not five minutes ago.

"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have made the deal. I couldn't think! I just needed my parents. I just…I'm so sorry!" Timmy sobbed.

"Unfortunately, sweetie, part of the vision _was _true," Wanda said and they floated out of his line of vision. Timmy's parents were beginning to break up, their ghostly forms growing weaker and weaker.

"We knew you would make the right decision one of these days," Mrs. Turner said, smiling.

"You just needed a shove in the right direction," Mr. Turner added.

"We have to be honest, we planned this with your godparents. They're good creatures and they love you so much. Even if we can't be there to watch you grow up, they will be," Mrs. Turner whispered and only her face remained.

"We love you, Timmy," they chorused and disappeared for the last time.

"We're sorry," Wanda whispered, watching her godson choke back sobs. She wanted to do something, but Cosmo kept warning her not to touch him.

"Yeah, but at least you won't have to worry about The Other. He's out cold," Cosmo said and pointed at Lorenzo, who had a sizable lump on his head.

"I guess there's nothing left to say, really," Tootie murmured.

"You're alive too?!" Timmy shrieked and swept her up into such a strong embrace she was left breathless.

"Yes," Tootie said, grinning. "I'm alive and so are Chester, A.J., Sanjay, Elmer, Juandissimo, Crocker, and Trixie. They're all alive and my wrists are intact. See?"

"Huh?"

"We must have accidentally showed it to her as well," Cosmo said, grinning sheepishly.

Wanda slapped a hand to her forehead. _Way to go, Cosmo._

"Let's just get out of here," Tootie whispered. She couldn't help but whisper. Timmy was squeezing her so tightly he might crack a rib. It was almost pleasant except for the lack of oxygen.

"Yeah," Timmy said, grinning and kissing her full on the lips. She kissed him back and drew away.

"Huh?"

"I can't breathe."

"Oh, sorry."

"Now I know how it feels," Tootie said with a grin, massaging her ribs.

"Yeah, any one else wanna get out of here sometime this millennium?" Cosmo said with a tinge of annoyance. Tootie and Timmy grinned sheepishly and nodded.

One chapter was almost closed.

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"I'm glad I didn't take much," Timmy said, holding his backpack, the only item he'd left in Lorenzo's possession. "I don't think I ever want to go back there again, even in my nightmares."

Tootie laughed humorlessly and squeezed his hand. "And you're free from The Other's influence, right? You aren't going to attack me or anything, are you?" (The what-if spell still hung heavily on her mind).

"Yeah, Cosmo and Wanda managed to sever the connection. I can still talk to him, but he can't talk to me unless I let him. I just wish they could have done more, though." She knew he was referring to his parents.

"They did it for you. They sacrificed themselves so you could be happy."

"I know," Timmy said and bit her lip to prevent the onslaught of tears (he was a little sick of crying). The mansion grew smaller and smaller in the distance. He was leaving the oppression, yet, on some level, also leaving his childhood. His parents were gone and he, finally, after all this time, had to deal with it.

Brushing past them was Trixie Tang looking harried. She kept muttering things to herself, nonsensical things. She looked back at them and resumed her frenzied dash.

_Okay…_"You and Trixie are done, right?" Tootie said anxiously.

"Yeah, we are. I'm not sure we ever were. I don't remember much after August."

_He'll probably repress the memories until he can find some way to deal with them. Don't be surprised if you mention something that happened and he's clueless. He's been through a lot and the what-if spell was traumatizing. We ran a test run and the four of us bawled our eyes out. Give him a little time. _Tootie could hear Wanda's advice resonate in her mind and knew her to be right.

They walked in silence until they reached his house. Tootie gulped hard, thinking of her own parents. The Other had to have one final word before they knocked them out (she had entered the spell the instant she was mentioned and not a moment sooner) and he'd screamed, in his fury over her hitting him in the head with a mallet (actually the transistor), the brilliant plan of her parents' disappearances, a slaughter as they went to their planes for a business trip (at night when he was ten). He'd left their bodes in the gas tank and they'd been cremated during the flight. As much as she wanted to be there for Timmy, she was drained, both emotionally and physically.

The door was open and they both trudged up the stairs, finally collapsing on Timmy's bed. They were unconscious for days.

He's whimpering in his sleep, Wanda sent, careful not to wake their godson.

Don't touch him, Cosmo warned. You shouldn't have touched him before.

It was the second night of the two's collapse and Wanda grew worried. Timmy moaned in his sleep and a bead of sweat began on his brow. She couldn't help wanting to hold him, he was calling her name.

He won't hurt us any more. I'm sure of it, Wanda replied and, to Cosmo's surprise and happiness, gave her husband a peck on the cheek, But it's sweet of you to worry.

How can we trust him again? He betrayed us.

I don't know.

Can we? Cosmo sent.

"Lorenzo…I'll do it…" Timmy moaned and hugged Tootie tightly.

No. They sent in unison. We can't trust him at all.

End The Other Saga Part Two.

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Author's Note- Damn, my hand and my fingers hurt. _Anyway_, aren't you glad this part's done? No? Oh, well.

I bet at least you're glad the what-if spell didn't actually end up with Timmy killing Cosmo and Wanda anyway after the spell was over? See, Timmy isn't heartless. J

Will Cosmo and Wanda ever trust Timmy again? For the answer to this question and many, many more, tune into the same FOP fiction, same FOP writer, some day soon.

Ciao.


End file.
